Come What May
by Natalie122333
Summary: An L/L story with some Rory and Logan too. A story of pain, comfort and love.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's note: I just want to state that this will not be a happy story. It will have some happy moments, but the gist of it will be dealing with the struggles of the characters. I wanted to try writing a different type of story. It will focus on the Luke/Lorelai like all of my stories, but I will also include Rory and Logan (and a few other characters). Rory did not steal the yacht in this story, but Michum still told her she doesn't have "it" (that will be a plot point later on)  
Please leave a review and let me know what you think. You reviews encourage me to keep writing. There will be more chapters later…**

Lorelai stepped out of the doctor's office and let out the breath she had been holding. The doctor had just officially given her the diagnosis of breast cancer. She had first felt the lump in her breast when she was in the shower on a normal morning a little over two weeks ago. She had told no one about it. She didn't want to worry Rory, Luke, her parents or anyone else if it had turned out to be nothing. She decided to go to the doctor and get tested alone. Whenever someone asked where she was going, she had used the excuse that she had errands to do. She went through all of the necessary tests and procedures alone. She was surprised that she had managed to keep it all a secret for so long, but she knew now was the time to tell everyone. She had scheduled another appointment to go over a treatment plan once the doctor had conclusive results on what stage the cancer was at.

She quickly calls Rory and leaves a message for her, asking her to come home after she writes her last final of the year. When she gets home, she distracts herself by watching T.V. Her cell phone starts ringing and she checks the caller I.D before she answers.

"Hey." She answered.

"Hi. I haven't seen you all day, how are you? How's the Inn?" Luke asked.

"Um, the Inn is fine, not too busy. I'm okay, just a normal day you know?" She lied. She didn't know how she was going to break the news to him. She needed to tell Rory first.

"Yeah, so do you wanna go out tonight? Maybe see a movie or go to Sniffy's or something?" Luke inquired.

Lorelai took a few seconds to respond. "No, sorry, Rory's coming home tonight and I want to have a girl's night with her. I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Oh, that's right. I forgot Rory was coming home tonight. You want me to bring you guys some food?"

"No, that's okay. We'll probably just order a pizza. I'll probably come to the diner for breakfast tomorrow, okay?" Lorelai's voice shook a little and she almost curses herself for it.

"Okay. Are you okay? You sound kind of strange." Luke sounded worried.

Lorelai hated not telling him, but she knew she couldn't do it over the phone and she didn't want him to worry. "I'm fine, hon." She heard the front door open. "Rory just got in, I have to go."

"All right, I'll see you tomorrow, bye." Luke said slowly.

"Bye doll." Lorelai ended the call.

"Hey, Mom," Rory walked into the room and greeted Lorelai.

Lorelai smiled, "Hey, hon. How was your final?"

"Fine," Rory answers quickly.

Lorelai noted that Rory's seemed nervous, but she decided not to bring up her concern. She knew that it would be best just to tell Rory her news and not put it off.

"Sit down." Lorelai patted the spot next to her on the couch.

Rory sat down next to Lorelai. She looked at Lorelai's face. "Is everything okay Mom?"

"Um… actually no it's not. We need to talk." Lorelai met Rory's eyes.

Rory nodded. "Okay, so talk."

"Well… don't get mad I didn't tell you this right away. I didn't want you to worry, but um I've had a few doctor's appointment the past couple weeks. I knew I needed to get checked out when I found I had a symptom of breast cancer. I had some tests and… um the doctor told me today that I have breast cancer." Lorelai took a shaky breath as she felt tears prick her eyes. She wasn't ready to see Rory's reaction.

Rory stared at her mother. She doesn't know what to say or how to react. "I…" She stopped.

Lorelai reached out and touched Rory's shoulder. "I know hon… I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner. I just didn't want to have you worry if it was nothing. But it isn't nothing…" She stopped, not knowing what else to say.

Rory swallowed the lump she felt in her throat. "I don't know what to say. Are you um going to get treatment… of course you're going to get treatment, what am I saying? I just…" She put her face in her hands for a second before she glanced at Lorelai.

Lorelai nodded slowly. "I'm arranging my treatment plan with my doctor at my next appointment. You're the first person I've told… it's still surreal to me. I mean, you hear people's cancer stories on the news or just… everywhere really. I never thought _I_ would end up having cancer." She looked down and let out a deep breath. She was still coming to terms with her diagnosis, but she knew her family and friends would be there to support her no matter what.

"Wow, you didn't even tell Luke yet?" Rory whispered.

"No. I wanted to tell you first. I'll tell Luke tomorrow. And then, I'll have to tell your grandparents and Sookie…" She trailed off as she started to imagine everyone's reactions. She let a few tears fall down her face.

Rory stood up abruptly. "Come here." She said quickly as she held out her arms.

Lorelai couldn't help but smile at her daughter's gesture. She stood up and allowed herself to be pulled into Rory's embrace.

"Everything is going to be okay, you're going to beat this." Rory told Lorelai, but her voice was unsteady. She had started to cry too.

They held each other for a long time. Lorelai was the one to pull away. She kissed Rory's forehead. "I love you, kid." She said.

Rory pressed her lips together then gave Lorelai a tiny smile, "I love you too Mom."

Neither one of them had the appetite to eat both went upstairs to Lorelai's bedroom without saying another word to each other. As Lorelai got ready for bed, Rory thought about everything. She decided that she didn't want to go back to Yale for her final year. She didn't know how long Lorelai would need to receive treatment, but she knew she needed to stay by her side. Rory also doubted herself. She wasn't so sure that she was meant to be a journalist anymore. She didn't tell anyone what Mitchum Huntzberger had thought of her performance. His words had cut deep, but she didn't really let herself dwell on them. She didn't want to believe that he was right, but as she thought about it, she started to feel more and more convinced that she didn't have "it."

Lorelai came out of the bathroom and lied down on the bed next to Rory. She knew she didn't have to ask Rory if she was staying in the bed. She turned off the light.

"Goodnight hon." She said softly.

Rory took a couple seconds to reply, "Night Mom."

Both of them had trouble falling asleep that night.


	2. Telling Luke and Sookie

The next morning, Lorelai woke up and immediately noticed that Rory was no longer in her room. She quickly got up and headed downstairs. She found Rory in her bedroom, unpacking a box.

"Morning, sweets," Lorelai greeted her.

Rory looked up. "Oh, morning Mom,"

"Unpacking your books from Yale?" Lorelai asked even though it was obvious that was what Rory was doing.

"Yeah. I'm actually about to head back there. I still have some things that I need to get there." Rory said quietly. She walked out of her room and Lorelai followed her to the kitchen.

"Okay. Well, I was going to go to Luke's for breakfast. Want to join me?" Lorelai asked as she watched Rory pour coffee into a travel mug.

"Oh, no sorry, I'd rather just head to Yale right now and just get everything out of my dorm this morning. Tell Luke I said 'hi' though." Rory replied.

Lorelai frowned. She was worried that Rory was trying to distract herself from thinking about their conversation last night.

"Okay… but um if you need to talk about anything you let me know." Lorelai said quickly.

"I will. It just hasn't really sunk it yet, you know? It's hard to believe it's really happening to you." Rory replied.

Lorelai noticed that Rory said "it". She was seemed to be uncomfortable saying the "C" word. She didn't want to upset Rory so she didn't say the word either. "I know, it's hasn't sunk in for me either. And I'm going to tell Luke today. Probably Sookie too." She exhaled.

"What about Grandma and Grandpa?" Rory asked.

Lorelai took a few seconds to reply. "Well, tomorrow is Friday… I might as well wait until dinner tomorrow night. I can tell them then."

Rory's brow furrowed, but she decided not to tell Lorelai that she disagreed with that decision. "Okay. Well, I'm gonna head out. I'll probably have lunch with Logan, so don't expect me to be back until later." She started walking towards the door, carrying her travel mug and her purse.

"Alright, hon. Drive safe." Lorelai told her. They kissed each other on the cheek before Rory walked out the door.

Lorelai found her purse and headed out the door. On the walk to Luke's, she started imagining Luke's reaction to her news. She hoped he wouldn't be upset that she had kept it from him this long.

When she arrived at the diner, Luke looked up, saw it was her and stopped wiping down a table and walked over to her.

"Hey." He greeted her with a smile and a quick kiss.

Lorelai was surprised as she was the one who usually initiated PDA. She gave him a small smile.

"Can we talk upstairs?" She asked him.

Luke frowned. "Um, sure, I'll meet you up there in couple minutes."

Lorelai walked up to the apartment. She didn't sit down as she was too anxious.

Luke came up a couple minutes later. He closes the door behind him.

"Want to sit down?" He asks.

Lorelai shakes her head. She bit her lip and tried to stay calm.

"Are you okay?" Luke reached out and touched her arm.

"No." Lorelai whispered. "I need to tell you something." She didn't meet his eye.

"What is it? You can tell me anything, you know?" Luke sounded worried.

"I… I have cancer." Lorelai said quietly.

"What?" Luke wasn't sure he heard her right.

"I've been diagnosed with breast cancer, Luke." She said clearly.

"You… how did you find out?" Luke lets out a deep breath and takes off his hat, runs his hand through his hair then puts the hat back on.

"I'm sorry… I didn't tell you this but I noticed I had a symptom, so I went to the doctor and they did all of these tests and my doctor just told me yesterday that it's breast cancer. They're going to confirm it and tell me how serious it is when they get the biopsy results back." Lorelai told him.

Luke stares at her. "I… you had a biopsy? And other tests? You went through all of that alone?" He asked.

Lorelai blinks. "Yeah, I didn't want to worry anyone if it was nothing."

"You should have told me… or Rory. We would have been there in a heartbeat." Luke said matter-of-factly.

"I know and I'm sorry." Lorelai replies in a low voice. She could tell he was upset.

Luke nods slowly. "It's okay, I get that you didn't want to worry us." He stepped closer to her. "This may be a dumb question, but how are you feeling?" He tried to meet her eyes but she was looking away.

Lorelai sighed. "I'm… it's surreal you know? I don't want to believe it's happening to me but it is. And I have to deal with it; I can't pretend it doesn't exist." She stopped as Luke took her in his arms.

"Everything is going to be okay, you're going to beat this." He told her.

She laughed half-heartedly. "Rory said the exact same thing."

"Well she was right." He whispered back.

She let him hold her and rub her back. He pulled back a little and kissed her forehead.

"Hey… I know I don't say this enough, but I love you." He said gently.

Lorelai smiled at him. He had only said those words once, when they got back together after their breakup. She knew he wasn't just saying it just because of the circumstances.

"I love you too." She told him.

He smiled. "You want some breakfast?" He asked.

"Yeah, I'd love some pancakes and bacon, oh and a side of hash browns!" She said enthusiastically. She was trying to keep a positive attitude.

"Okay." Luke said simply. She followed him downstairs and took a seat at the counter. Luke gives the order to Caesar and stands behind the counter on the other side of Lorelai.

He looks around the diner. Lorelai follows his gaze and notices that there is only one customer at a table.

"So, are Rory and I the only ones that know?" Luke asked quietly.

Lorelai nodded. "Yeah, I think I'll tell Sookie today though."

"Let me know if I can uh help with anything. "

"I will." She touched his hand lightly.

Lorelai ate breakfast quickly. Before she left the diner, Luke leaned over the counter and kissed her goodbye.

When she arrived at the Inn, she decided to pull Sookie aside and tell her right away. She didn't feel right keeping something this big from her best friend and she didn't want Sookie hearing it from someone else.

She went into the kitchen and found Sookie chopping vegetables.

Sookie glanced up, "Good morning."

"Morning. Um Sookie, can I talk to you about something?"

"Sure, talk I'm listening." Sookie kept on chopping.

"I meant in private. Can you come to my office for a minute?" Lorelai replied.

Sookie stopped chopping. "Oh. Okay." She starts to follow Lorelai to her office. She looked at Lorelai's face. "Is everything okay?"

Lorelai didn't answer until they stepped inside her office. "I need to tell you something." She told Sookie with a straight face.

Sookie frowned, but then a hint of a smile crossed her face. "Oh my god, are you pregnant? You and Luke are having a baby?"

"Sookie no, trust me that's not what I have to tell you. It isn't a good thing." Lorelai exhaled.

Sookie frowned again. "Oh no," She looked Lorelai in the eye. "Just tell me, I can handle it." She said firmly.

"Okay. I have breast cancer. I found out yesterday." Lorelai kept her eyes on Sookie and watched her reaction.

Sookie nodded slowly. She seemed to have trouble taking the information in. "Wow. I uh… I wasn't expecting that."

Lorelai gave her a tentative smile. "I know. It's a lot to take in. I'm still reeling myself."

"Did you tell Rory…and Luke?" Sookie pondered.

"Yeah," Lorelai answered simply.

"What about your parents?"

"No, not yet I'm waiting until tomorrow night's dinner."

"Well, I'm glad you told me. I'll always be here if you want to talk, Lorelai. You can tell me anything." Sookie gave her a small smile.

"I know, Sook. Thank you." Lorelai pulled Sookie into a hug.

They chatted a little about what Lorelai had gone through before they went back to work. 

* * *

Rory parked at Yale and walked over to her dorm. She had called Logan before she left the house and told him to meet her outside her dorm. She found him waiting on a bench.

"Hey Ace." He stands up and she greets him with a kiss.

He follows her inside.

"Can you help me carry some boxes to my car?" She asked him.

"Sure." He replied.

They spent the next half hour filling Rory's car with boxes. As Rory packs the rest of her things in bags, Logan watches her.

"Hey, is everything okay?" He asked.

"Yeah, why?" She answered.

"I don't know something about you seems off."

Rory sighed heavily and sat down next to him on the couch. "I don't know if I should be telling you this, but last night my mom told me that she has cancer."

"Oh, wow… that's… how are you handling it?" Logan asked, clearly concerned.

Rory doesn't reply.

"That was a dumb question wasn't it?"

Rory looked at him. "I don't know… I'm just a little scared I guess. I've never known anyone with cancer and I don't know what's going to happen. It's so strange that it's happening to my mom, you know?" She felt tears start to fill her eyes.

Logan moved closer to her and put his arm around her. "Well, that's normal, to be scared I mean. I may not know a lot about the subject, but you can talk to me about it. I'll listen."

Rory just snuggled up to him and whispered, "Thank you." She didn't really how to feel or what to say. But she was glad to have Logan to by her side.

* * *

When Lorelai got home from work that night, she turned on the T.V. and tried to relax. Rory had called and told her that she would be arriving home late. She flipped through the channels and stopped when she saw a woman asleep on a hospital bed. She left the channel on and watched as a man who appeared to be the woman's husband, sat next to her bed and put his head in his hand and sobbed. Lorelai grimaced and turned the T.V. off.

Her mind raced. She imagined herself to be in a hospital bed. She pictured Luke sitting next to her, looking worried. She also imagined Rory crying silently. _Stop_ She told herself. She didn't know when she had started crying, but she tried to blink back her tears. _Why am I alone right now?_ She asked herself. She knew it wasn't wise to be alone because it allowed her to think about how much her diagnosis scared her.

She picked up her cell phone and speed dialed Luke. It went straight to voicemail.

"Ugh." Lorelai was frustrated. The beep sounded. "Um, Luke it's me. Can you come over?" She tried not to sound too desperate.

While she waited for him to come over, she tried to read a book, but after reading the same sentence over and over again, she gave up. Thankfully, there was a knock at the door. She got up and practically ran over to the door. When she opened the door, she saw Luke standing there, holding a bag of food.

"Hey." He said gently. He took one look at her face and quickly stepped inside.

"Luke I'm…" She started to say.

"I know." He replied. He placed the food bag on the entryway table. He had barely put his hand out when she threw her arms around his neck.

She cried on his shoulder and he tried to soothe her with his words. "Shh, it's going to be okay." He held her tight.

Lorelai knew that he was just trying to comfort her. She knew there was no way he could guarantee that everything was going to be okay.

He held her until she pulled away. "Talk to me." He said calmly as he gently pushed hair off her face.

"I'm scared." She admitted. "I don't know what's going to happen and I'm just overwhelmed."

Luke nodded. "I understand. Let's sit down and talk."

Lorelai shook her head. "I don't want to talk that will make me more scared… I don't even want to think about it."

"Lorelai," He said softly. She looked him in the eye. "You can tell me your fears. If you don't want to talk right now, that's fine. But, I'm here for you."

"I know." She managed to give him a grateful smile. "I just um can we talk once we know more about what I'm dealing with?"

Luke saw the look of pain on her face and he didn't want to push her to talk.

"Okay." He said simply.

She grabbed his hand. "Come with me."

He let her drag him up to her bedroom. Once they got there, she closed the door, pulled him to her and kissed him.

Luke was a bit stunned, but he kissed her back. She began unbuttoning his flannel. He pulled away. "Lorelai…" he warned.

"Please Luke, just let me experience some pleasure right now." She begged.

He looked at her and her expression made him feel empathetic. He could tell she just wanted to feel happy right now; that she wanted to distract herself. While he knew it wasn't exactly right, he went along with it.

He kissed her softly. She sighed against his lips and continued unbuttoning his flannel. They quickly shred their clothes and made their way to the bed. They made love slowly, Luke was very gentle and sweet and Lorelai appreciated it.

Afterwards they lied snuggled close together.

"Was that comfort sex? I'm sorry." Lorelai said quietly.

Luke shrugged. "I thought I was just making love to my girlfriend."

Lorelai giggled at that. "Since when do you call it 'making love'?"

Luke just shrugged again. Lorelai sighed and rested her head on his chest. He kissed her hair.

"Rory is coming home soon." She muttered, letting him know.

"I should get going then." He replied.

"No. Stay. Sleep here, she won't mind. Just make sure you put some clothes on."

"All right," He said simply.

They lied there for a few more minutes before Lorelai got up and headed to the shower.

About half an hour later, Rory returned home. She found Lorelai in the kitchen, eating the food Luke had brought.

"Any extra for me?" Rory asked.

Lorelai stopped chewing. "Oh hey, hon. Yeah, there's some extra fries."

Rory sat down next to Lorelai. They ate in silence.

Once they were finished eating, Rory said. "Sorry I left today."

Lorelai gave her a confused look. "You don't need to apologize. You had to get your stuff from Yale."

"Yeah… but what if you needed me?" Rory replied quietly.

Lorelai smiled softly. "I was fine. I told Luke and Sookie today. Luke's upstairs actually. He's spending the night here, that's okay right?"

Rory nodded. "How did they take it?"

"They were supportive, just like you. They said the right things." Lorelai said gently.

"I'll be there… tomorrow when you tell Grandma and Grandpa." Rory told her.

Lorelai reached out and touched Rory's hand. "I know." She said simply.

They both stood up at the same time and collided in a hug. They knew without saying so that the other needed comfort.

When they pulled apart, Rory muttered: "I'm gonna need help bringing in the boxes from my car."

Lorelai laughed a little. "Well, I've got a big, strong man upstairs. I'm sure he'd be willing to help."

The three of them spent the next forty five minutes moving the boxes. Later, in bed, Lorelai cuddled up to Luke without saying a word and he kissed her goodnight. They stayed close together through the night.

 **Author's note: Thank you for the reviews, favourites and follows. I never really expected to have this many follows after only one chapter… I hope you like the story and please know that reviews and feedback are appreciated.**


	3. Telling Emily and Richard

The next morning, Luke woke up at 8 AM to find Lorelai still sleeping peacefully in his embrace. He didn't want to wake her, so he moved out of bed carefully and headed to the bathroom. He took a quick shower and returned to the bedroom. He was relieved to find that Lorelai was still asleep. He had called Caesar last night and asked him to open the diner for him today.

Luke headed downstairs and after he checked the contents of the cupboards and the fridge, he decided to make breakfast for himself and the girls. He made pancakes and bacon for them and oatmeal for himself. Rory was woken up by the sound and the smell of Luke's cooking. She got out of bed and entered the kitchen.

"Something smells good." She mumbled.

Luke turned away from the stove to face Rory. "Oh, hey. Yeah, I'm making breakfast. You can sit down, it's almost ready." He responded.

Rory grinned. She always appreciated how Luke would take care of her and her mother without being asked to. She sat down at the table.

A few minutes later, Luke placed a plate in front of her. He frowned suddenly. "I didn't wake you up too early did I?" He asked Rory.

Rory shook her head. "Don't worry about it. Waking up to eat a breakfast cooked by you is worth it."

Luke just smiled. He turned around and poured a cup of coffee for her. He set it next to her plate. "I'm gonna go wake up your mom. I hope it's not too early… she's working at the Inn today right?"

Rory swallowed. "I think so. She shouldn't be mad when you wake her up; especially after you tell her you made breakfast."

Luke just nodded and headed upstairs. Lorelai was still asleep, so he leaned down and gently shook her shoulders. She opened her eyes.

"Hey." Luke whispered softly. "How'd you sleep?"

Lorelai stared at him for a second before she replied. A smile crept over her face. "I slept fine. Thank you for staying over last night."

"No problem." Luke said quietly. "I made breakfast. Rory is up and eating already."

Lorelai glanced at the alarm clock then slowly sat up. "You are the sweetest boyfriend. Have I ever told you that?"

"I think so." Luke answered. He was happy that she had changed her mind about only wanting to eat 'Luke's breakfast' at Luke's.

They went downstairs and Luke ushered Lorelai to sit while he got her food and coffee. Once he placed them in front of her, he got his oatmeal and tea and sat with them. They chatted about everything except Lorelai's diagnosis. Both Rory and Luke could tell that Lorelai wasn't ready to talk about it yet and they didn't want to upset her.

After breakfast, Lorelai got ready for work. Luke decided to wait until she was done getting ready to head to the diner.

"Hey, so you're going to Friday night dinner tonight, right?" He asked her.

"Yeah… and yes, I am going to tell my parents tonight." She said solemnly.

"You want me to come? I could probably have Caesar close for me."

Lorelai smiled, but shook her head. "Thanks for the offer but I think it's better if I just do this alone..."

"Okay." Luke accepted her decision. "You want a ride to the Inn?"

"No, I'll just take the Jeep. I'm going to drive straight to Hartford after work and Rory can meet me at my parent's house, she has her car."

"All right," Luke replied.

They stood on the porch and kissed goodbye. Luke headed to the diner and Lorelai headed to the Inn. Lorelai told him she would stop by for lunch if she had the time.

* * *

Luke's phone rang in the late afternoon.

"Hello?" He answered.

"Hey, it's me. Sorry, I can't make it for lunch today. I have too much work to do." Lorelai told him.

"That's alright." Luke tried not to sound too disappointed. "Do you want me to stay over tonight?"

Lorelai smiled to herself. "Sure. I'll call you when I get back from my parent's house."

"Okay… don't tire yourself out." Luke said quietly.

Lorelai smiled again. She knew that he was concerned and that he just wanted her to be safe and healthy.  
"I won't. See you later then?"

"Yep. Bye." He answered.

"Bye." Lorelai hung up and let out a sigh. She knew it wasn't going to be easy to tell her parents about her diagnosis. She wasn't sure how they were going to react. She cleared her mind and returned her focus to her work.

Lorelai and Rory stood in front of the Gilmore Mansion. They stared at the door, neither one of them made a move to knock on the door or ring the doorbell.

"You ready?" Rory asked as she turned to face Lorelai.

Lorelai let out a breath. "As ready as I'll ever be."

Rory knocked on the door. Barely twenty seconds had passed when the maid opened the door. Emily came from behind her.

"There you two are. You're late."

As Lorelai and Rory stepped inside, Lorelai said: "Sorry Mom, traffic."

Emily didn't respond. They all walked into the living room. Richard was sitting on the sofa, reading a newspaper. He put the paper down when he heard the girls walk in.

Rory walked over to Richard, bent down and kissed his cheek. "Hi Grandpa,"

"Hello, Rory. Tell me, how does it feel to be done with your second year at Yale?"

Rory and Lorelai sat down on the sofa opposite of the one Richard was sitting on.

"It feels good." Rory said simply. She gave Richard a small smile.

"Would you like a drink, Lorelai?" Emily asked.

"Um, no thanks Mom," Lorelai replied. She looked around the room nervously.

Emily raised her eyebrows, but she didn't say anything. She made a drink for herself (Richard already had one) and poured some club soda for Rory. She walked over to the sofa and handed Rory her drink.  
"Thanks Grandma."

Emily sat next to Richard. Rory gave Lorelai a look, urged her to tell them.

"Um, Mom, Dad I have something to tell you." Lorelai mumbled.

Emily stared at her for a few seconds before her brow furrowed. "Oh my god, you're pregnant!" She sputtered.

"No! Mom I'm not pregnant! Geez," Lorelai wondered why both Sookie and Emily had come to the conclusion that she was pregnant.

"Well, you can't blame me for thinking that, you didn't want a drink and you usually have one." Emily replied.

Lorelai just shrugged. "The thing that I have to tell you isn't a happy thing…"

"Well, what is it? Just tell us." Richard said, sounding a bit angry.

Lorelai took a deep breath. "I've been diagnosed with breast cancer."

The room went silent. Both Lorelai and Rory stared at Emily and Richard.

"You're serious?" Emily inquired.

"Grandma!" Rory exclaimed.

Lorelai put a hand on Rory's leg to try to put her at ease, "Yes, I'm serious." She told Emily.

Richard remained silent.

"Well you joke so often that it's hard to know when you're serious." Emily muttered.

Richard started to open his mouth to say something, but Lorelai beat him to it.

"I would never joke about this kind of thing, Mom." Lorelai glared at her mother. She was hurt that Emily would think that.

"I'm sorry." Emily said sincerely.

Lorelai nodded and Rory managed to give Emily an appreciative smile.

"When did you find this out, Lorelai?" Richard questioned.

"Uh, the other day, it's been confirmed by the doctor… it's real. I had all the tests and everything. I'm just waiting for the biopsy results to find out what stage it is." She informed him.

Richard nodded. "Well, we'll have to make sure that you receive the best treatment." He said plainly.

Lorelai smiled softly. She had expected he would say something along those lines.

Emily stood up suddenly and walked out of the room. Lorelai, Rory and Richard all frowned. Richard started to get up, but Lorelai stopped him:

"I'll go talk to her, Dad." She said simply. She got up and walked out of the room

Lorelai found the maid dusting near the entryway asked her if she saw where Emily went. The maid told her that she saw Emily heading towards Richard's office. Lorelai thanked her and walked to the office.

She found Emily standing in Richard's office. Emily was just standing their completely still, staring off into space.

"Mom?"

Emily glanced at Lorelai. "Oh, Lorelai… I'm just…" She trailed off.

Lorelai stepped closer to Emily. "Are you okay Mom?"

"Shouldn't I be asking you that question?" Emily said in a low voice.

Lorelai sighed softly. "Well, I'm handling it the best I can. It's still a little unreal to me, you know? But I know I'll have my family and friends standing by my side."

"Who else knows?" Emily asked.

"Just Rory, Luke, Sookie and you and Dad," Lorelai answered.

Emily nodded. "I see. Well, I have to admit, I never imagined that one of my family members would end up having cancer."

"Of course you didn't. We hear about people's cancer stories on the news all the time… no one likes to think about it happening to them or to one of their loved ones." Lorelai replied.

"Oh wait, now that I've thought about it, I remember my aunt had cancer. I think it was breast cancer too… it might have been ovarian though, I'm not sure. I was very young when she passed." Emily said quickly.

Lorelai just nodded. She didn't know what she was supposed to do with this information.

"Your father and I will be here for you, Lorelai. If you need to talk or if you just need support, we'll be there." Emily affirmed.

"Thank you." Lorelai whispered in response. She wasn't exactly sure what to say as she was used to the complicated, stressful relationship that she had had with her parents for the past several years. But she knew this was different as it was a serious matter and she wasn't surprised at how Emily and Richard were handling it.

"Do you want to come back to the living room now?" Lorelai asked calmly.

Emily gave Lorelai a short nod and started walking towards the door.

They returned to the living room and to find that Richard and Rory were no longer there. Lorelai followed Emily to the dining room without a word. They found Richard and Rory eating dinner.

"You started dinner without us?" Emily appeared to be upset.

"Sorry. We knew you two might be a while and the maid came and said dinner was ready. We didn't want to wait." Richard told her.

"Well I suppose that's all right." Emily said as she sat down.

Lorelai took her seat and glanced at Rory. She noticed that Rory's eyes were a bit puffy, as if she'd been crying. She decided to ask her about it later.

As they ate, Lorelai told them about what she had gone through in the past couple weeks. Richard asked if she had experienced any pain and Emily asked how she managed to go through it all alone. Lorelai answered their questions and shared her feelings with them. She thanked them for their support and promised to keep them in the loop. Richard insisted that she inform him when she started treatment so he could use his connections to make sure she received the best treatment. Lorelai assured him that she would. Before Lorelai and Rory left, Richard gave Rory a hug and whispered something in her ear. Rory just nodded in response.

* * *

On the drive home, Lorelai asked Rory what she and Richard talked about.

"Oh, um about you," Rory admitted.

Lorelai assumed so. "And?" She wanted Rory to feel like she could talk to her about anything.

"Well, Grandpa asked how I felt about it and I told him that it's still sinking in. I told him that I'm scared for what's to come… I'm scared for you." Rory's voice cracked.

Lorelai took her eyes off the road for a second. She reached out and touched Rory's hair. "I'm scared too, hon. I can't lie and say I'm not. But I'm going to try to be strong and keep a positive attitude. But don't ever afraid to tell me how you're feeling, you can always talk to me."

Rory nodded. "I know. I'll try my best to tell you how I'm feeling, it's just hard sometimes."

Lorelai understood. "What did Grandpa say?"

Rory smiled weakly. "He said he understood how I was feeling. He seemed to have trouble believing that this is happening to you… He told me that he would be there for me if I ever needed to talk or… vent or anything."

Lorelai nodded. "Your grandma pretty much had the same reaction. She told me that she and Grandpa would be there for me." She couldn't help but smile.

"Good." Rory said simply.

When they returned home, they decided to watch one of their favourite movies and eat popcorn.

"I told Luke that he could come over and stay the night again, is that okay?" Lorelai asked as Rory popped the movie into the DVD player.

"Yeah, of course, Luke is welcome here anytime… he's like family." Rory answered. Then she frowned. "Are you going to tell Dad soon?"

Lorelai bit her lip. "I'll tell him once I know how serious it is."

"Okay." Rory accepted that answer.

Lorelai called Luke and he came over ten minutes later. The three of them watched the movie together. Lorelai sat next to Luke and she wanted to cuddle with him, but she didn't want to make Rory feel uncomfortable. She knew Rory was okay with her dating Luke, but she wasn't sure that she would want to see them be affectionate.

As Luke and Lorelai lied in bed that night, Lorelai told him about Emily and Richard's reactions. Luke listened and told her that he was glad that she had the support of her family.

"Well, I'm glad to have you too." Lorelai said sweetly. She rested her head on his chest and smiled.

"You'll always have me." Luke said frankly. He kissed the top of her head and pulled her closer.

Lorelai just smiled. They fell asleep fast that night, comfortable next to each other.

* * *

 **Author's note: Thank you for reading, following and reviewing this story. Please feel free to leave a review for this chapter.**


	4. The True Diagnosis

A few days later, Lorelai received a call from her doctor. She made an appointment for the following day. Luke had stayed over almost every night, even on the night before he had early deliveries. He had called his delivery guy and explained that Caesar would now be handling deliveries. He knew that he needed to be there for Lorelai, both physically and emotionally. She needed to be physically comforted with hugs and kisses and other simple affectionate gestures. She also needed to be supported emotionally. Luke did this by telling her that she would be okay, that she would beat this, that everything would be okay and that he would never leave her.

Rory also showed her support by just spending time with Lorelai and talking with her. They talked a little bit about both of their fears, but Lorelai still didn't want to really talk about it until she knew how serious it was. She and Rory also shared a lot of hugs and Rory also tried to reassure her that everything would be fine.

Lorelai had a couple of phone conversations with Emily and Richard. She kept them updated, informed them of the date of her doctor's appointment and promised to tell them what the results of her biopsy were. They also offered her words of encouragement and support.

At work, Lorelai would have long conversations with Sookie. They mostly discussed work topics, but they talked a little about Lorelai's diagnosis. Sookie, of course also offered her support and love. She had offered to go to the doctor's appointment with her, but Lorelai told her that Luke and Rory would already be going and that she didn't want everyone dropping everything for her. Sookie was a little hesitant, but she realized that it might be best for her to show her support by staying at the Inn and taking of things for Lorelai.

Rory turned to Logan for comfort. She visited him every other day. He would comfort her by holding her and telling her that everything would be alright. Rory knew that there was no way he could know that, but she was grateful that he was there for her. She still didn't tell him what had happened with his dad, but she wasn't thinking about that and Logan never asked about it.

* * *

On the day on the appointment, Lorelai walked in, hand in hand with Luke, Rory on her other side. Luke didn't let go of her hand as they waited for Lorelai to be called. When she was called, Lorelai made sure that it was ok for Luke and Rory to come with her, it was. They walked in and when the doctor noticed that Luke and Rory were with Lorelai, she walked out to grab another chair.

When the doctor retuned, Luke introduced himself.

"Nice to meet you, Luke, I'm Doctor Fields, but you can call me Stephanie." She turned to Rory. "And you must be Lorelai's daughter?" She held out her hand to Rory.

Rory shook her hand. "Yep, I'm Rory nice to meet you."

They all sat down.

"Well, I'm happy to see that you've brought Luke and Rory with you today. It's always nice to see patients have support from loved ones." Stephanie said.

Lorelai just smiled and nodded.

"Okay. Well, I suppose we'll get to it then?" Stephanie offered a polite smile.

All three of them nodded. Luke held out his hand to Lorelai and she laced her fingers through his.

Stephanie took a breath. "Unfortunately, the cancer is at a later stage than we initially thought. The biopsy confirmed that you have Stage III breast cancer. The tumor is large and the cancer cells have spread to nearby lymph nodes."

Lorelai stared at her. She was speechless. Luke glanced at her, saw the look on her face and decided to ask for her.

"And what will the treatment be?" He asked as his thumb gently brushed the back of Lorelai's hand.

Rory just looked between Luke, Lorelai and Stephanie. She didn't know what to say either.

"We think it would be best to start with chemotherapy to shrink the tumor. This will make it easier to remove. After chemo, we'll preform a lumpectomy and remove the tumor and the surrounding tissue. Then, more chemo and maybe radiation,"

Luke nodded slowly. Lorelai finally spoke:

"What is the survival rate?" She asked.

Luke almost scolded her, but he thought twice and just squeezed her hand.

Stephanie didn't take her eyes off Lorelai. "Well, it varies but the five year survival rate is actually pretty good."

"That's good, right?" Rory spoke for the first time.

Stephanie smiled at her. "Yes, it also helps that your mother is younger than the average age of women who are diagnosed."

Rory managed to give her a small smile in return.

"And when would I start treatment?" Lorelai asked in a low voice.

"As soon as possible, we'll start scheduling your treatment today. You're going to have to take some time off of work."

Lorelai nodded. She had figured that treatment would take a long time. She knew that Sookie, Michel and the other employees should be able to manage without her.

"Any more questions or concerns?" Stephanie asked.

No one said anything.

"All right, I'll phone you when we arrange your treatment." Stephanie took something out of her desk drawer. "Here's a pamphlet that will give you a lot of information. If you have any questions that aren't answered in there, feel free to call anytime."

Lorelai took the pamphlet. "Thank you." She smiled softly.

Stephanie smiled back. Luke, Rory and Lorelai all stood up slowly. Luke and Rory also thanked Stephanie. They all walked out together.

The walked down the halls, through the waiting room and out the door.

"Well that wasn't so bad." Luke says quietly.

Lorelai gave him a small smile. She looped her arm through his and reached out with her other arm to touch Rory's shoulder.

"You okay, hon?"

"Yeah, thanks for letting me come." Rory replied.

"Of course, again I'm sorry I that I chose to go through all the testing alone…" Lorelai mumbled.

Rory looked at her. "We're here now and we're not going anywhere, right Luke?"

Luke flashed a smile. "Right,"

They walked to the Jeep together. Rory got in the back and Luke sat in passenger seat.

* * *

Later that night, while Luke was at the diner, Lorelai and Rory watched T.V. together.

"Hey Mom?" Rory tried to get Lorelai's attention.

Lorelai turned her head away from the T.V. "Yes sweets?"

"I hope you're not mad or anything… but I told Logan about your diagnosis. He's been helping me cope with it." Rory glanced at Lorelai, a concerned look on her face.

"No. That's okay. I'm glad that Logan is here for you. The whole town is going to find out soon enough, so it doesn't matter if he knows now. Everyone is going to know eventually." Lorelai conceded.

"Yeah… maybe you should just tell everyone at a town meeting or something." Rory frowned. "Oh wait, that might not be a good idea, sorry."

"No, that's actually not a bad idea. It's better than Miss Patty or Babette finding out and then having it being gossiped about all over town. If I announced it at a town meeting, everyone would find out at once." Lorelai replied.

Lorelai had already called Emily and Richard and told them the news. They still voiced their support, told Lorelai that they would be there if she needed them. Lorelai told Richard that she would ask Stephanie about the specifics of her treatment. Richard still wanted her Lorelai to have the best treatment and he told her that money was no object, as if she didn't know that already.

"What about Dad?" Rory asked.

"I'll call him tomorrow and see if he can come over. I can't tell him over the phone." Lorelai responded.

"Okay."

They silently watched the T.V. for a few minutes.

"Hey Mom, I love you." Rory said quietly.

"I know. I love you too, Rory." Lorelai shifted closer to Rory and Rory cuddled up to her.

Lorelai kissed Rory's forehead. They sat and watched T.V. for another half hour.

* * *

Luke walked in without knocking.

"Hey." He called out.

"Shh." Lorelai hissed. She pointed at Rory who was asleep, her head on a pillow that was on Lorelai's lap.

Luke took off his boots and quietly walked over to the couch. He looked down and Rory and smiled. She looked so young and innocent. He could still remember her pet caterpillar's funeral that he had attended. She had grown up into a beautiful young before both of their eyes. Luke had always thought of Rory as a sort of daughter. He had always felt like he needed to protect her. He cared deeply for her and couldn't imagine how she must be feeling right now.

Lorelai moved carefully and stood up.

"Kiss." She said as she stepped close to Luke.

Luke gave her a short, sweet kiss. Lorelai pressed her face into his neck.

"You okay?" He asked, concerned.

"Mmm-hmm. I just missed you." She whispered.

Luke started rubbing circles on her back. "Maybe I should just move in, I'm here practically every night." He said in a low voice.

Lorelai pulled away. "That's a good point. Do you want to move in?"

Luke shrugged. "If you want me to,"

Lorelai cocked her head to the side. "Would you cook me dinner every night?" She teased.

Luke smirked. "I don't know if I could every night, but maybe."

"Okay. I'd have to ask Rory if she's okay with it, but I have no objections to you moving in." Lorelai answered. She tugged on his hand and led him upstairs.

"Speaking of Rory, how is she handling all of this? She didn't say much today." Luke pointed out.

"She's handling it normally, I guess. Logan is there for her and my dad said he would be too." Lorelai told him. She started to strip her clothes.

"And you two talked?"

"Yep. She knows she can talk to me about her feelings." Lorelai put on her pajamas.

"Okay." Luke accepted that. He wasn't sure if he should tell Rory that she could talk to him too. Before he could ask Lorelai if she had told Christopher yet, she spoke.

"Oh, and I'm going to call Christopher tomorrow and see if he can come over. I need to tell him too…" She looked away from Luke. She knew that Christopher was a sort of sore spot for him.

"I know." Luke understood. Christopher was Rory's father after all.

They brushed their teeth and got ready for bed together.

After Luke turned off the light and kissed Lorelai goodnight, he opened his mouth to say something.

Lorelai stopped him. "I know, I love you too babe."

Luke frowned. "How did you know I was going to say that?"

"I just knew." Lorelai grinned. She kissed him again then settled in the bed close to him, but facing the other way. She reached behind her and Luke gave her his arm. She placed his arm around her waist.

Luke smiled. "'Night." He said softly.

"Goodnight." Lorelai replied.

 **Author's note: Thank you for the reviews, follows and favourites. Please feel free to leave a review for this chapter.**


	5. Before Treatment

Luke rolled over and reached out for Lorelai. He opened his eyes when he didn't feel her lying next to him. She was sitting on the other side of the bed, out of his reach. She was reading the pamphlet from the doctor. Luke sat up slowly. Lorelai didn't seem to notice.

"Hey, you're up before me, I'm shocked." Luke said with a small chuckle.

Lorelai turned her head slowly. She smiled softly. "Hey. Yeah, I had trouble staying asleep so I decided to stay up."

Luke nodded slowly. "Still reading that?" Lorelai had been reading the pamphlet for the past two days. She wanted to make sure she was well informed on chemo and breast cancer.

"Mmm-hmm." She answered, still reading.

Luke moved over and placed a hand on her shoulder and began rubbing it gently. Lorelai smiled again. She stopped reading and turned her face to him.

"Good morning." She said gently.

"Morning," He whispered.

"How'd you sleep?"

Luke's brow furrowed. "You're asking me how _I_ slept when you just admitted you had trouble sleeping."

"Yeah, just because I can't sleep doesn't mean you should suffer too. You can sleep through anything though. I just don't want you to lose sleep over me…" Lorelai replied.

Luke took a few seconds to respond. "Don't worry about me. It's more important that you're getting proper rest and that you're okay."

Lorelai leaned in and kissed his cheek. She knew he was right.

"Okay… um so I was just reading about how the chemo might affect my fertility. It can damage my eggs… I know we've never talked about having kids, but I have the option to have a few eggs extracted and frozen. What do you think about that?" She asked a bit hesitantly.

Luke looked at her and thought about it. She was right, they had never talked about whether or not they wanted kids. He thought they wouldn't have to talk about that until after marriage, if marriage was even in their future.

"Well, I would like to have kids one day, maybe. But your health comes first. I think it might be better to get started with chemo… I'm not a doctor but I think the sooner you start chemo, the better. I don't think you should put off the chemo to freeze your eggs. It's your body though, your decision."

She looked at him and contemplated. She decided that it _was_ more important to treat the cancer than to have kids. She wouldn't freeze her eggs, she would risk her fertility.  
"You're right. My health is more important. I would like to have kids with you one day, but I can accept that I might not be able to."

She thought about the little pregnancy scare she had had a little while ago. She never told Luke because she didn't want to scare him and it was over so fast. She made sure that they used some type of contraception every time after that. Still, she was happy that he had expressed that he wasn't totally opposed to kids.

"Okay." Luke answered. He slowly moved out of the bed and walked over to the closet. He had moved in the day before. He still had some things at his apartment, but the essential items were here. He took out a flannel, a t-shirt and jeans from the closet then went over to the dresser. He took out something that Lorelai couldn't see, but assumed was underwear.

"I'm gonna take a shower before I head to the diner." He told her.

"Mind if I join you?" She winked awkwardly.

"All right," He said simply.

Lorelai grinned and quickly got out of bed. She didn't bother grabbing any clothes as she didn't know what she wanted to wear. They walked to the bathroom together.

* * *

Meanwhile, Rory was asleep in her bed. Logan was next to her. She had called him late last night and snuck him in the house while Lorelai and Luke slept. Although she was a twenty year old woman who was free to do whatever she wanted, she wasn't sure how Lorelai or Luke would feel about Logan sleeping over. She didn't want to drive to his place last night but she wanted to see him, so she told him to come over.

"Rory wake up." Logan muttered as he gently shook her shoulder.

Rory groaned. "I don't wanna."

"Don't you want to say goodbye before I leave?" Logan inquired.

"What time is it?" Rory asked.

Logan glanced at the alarm clock. "A little after seven," He told her.

"Oh." Rory moved abruptly and sat up. "Luke might be coming downstairs soon, you should leave."

"That's what I was thinking. I thought you'd wanted to say goodbye before I left though." Logan smiled.

Rory got out of the bed and turned to face him. "Wait one second." She held up a finger then quickly walked out of the room. She walked up the stairs and stood in the hall for a few seconds. She heard the shower running then walked back downstairs.

She returned to her bedroom. "Okay, I think Luke is in the shower. You can stay a little longer." She told Logan.

"Nah, I think my dad wanted to talk to me about my 'summer plans' today. I should get back, unless you want to go get some breakfast or something."

Rory shook her head. "I want to stay with my mom… well I think she's going to the Inn today but I might go visit my grandparents today."

Logan frowned. "I don't actually want to see my father, Ace. I thought maybe we could do something so I'd have an excuse to avoid him."

Rory glared at him. "No, Logan I don't want to go off with you, I have to be here for my mom. She needs me right now. You should face your responsibilities too."

"Don't tell me that when I asked you if you wanted to talk about your mom last night and you brushed me off and dragged me to bed instead!" Logan scoffed.

Rory gasped. "I did not drag you to bed, you came willingly… I just wanted to feel happy okay? I wanted to do something that would make me forget about it for a bit… I…" She stopped and looked down at her feet.

Logan bit his lip. He knew he shouldn't have said that. "I'm sorry." He whispered. He got off the bed and walked over to her. He placed a hand on her shoulder. "Look at me."

Rory looked up at him.

"I know this must be hard for you. But avoiding it isn't the right way to handle it. Maybe I shouldn't have come over last night. I thought I told you that you could talk to me about it." He said in a low voice.

"I know it's just… so, so real now that she's going to start treatment in a couple days. I'm just scared and talking about it makes me even more scared." She stammered. Tears fell down her face.

Logan pulled her into his arms. He didn't tell her it was going to be okay. He knew that it might be the right thing to say right now. He just held her until she pulled away.

"Thank you." Rory said gently. She had wanted to say 'I love you' but she wasn't completely sure that she was in love with him and she didn't want to scare him. She didn't think he was in love with her.

Logan kept a hand on her shoulder. "You okay?"

"I think so." Rory said quietly.

Logan nodded. "Okay. I'm gonna go now. Is that okay?"

"Yeah and I'm sorry again… I never meant to use you for sex. I just…" She tried to think of an explanation.

"I know, Ace. Don't worry about it okay?"

Rory just nodded. Logan quickly kissed her forehead.

"Bye. I'll call you later." Rory told him as he walked away.

"Bye." Logan answered simply as he left the room.

* * *

After they got out of the shower, Luke and Lorelai got dressed and Luke told her that he was giving Caesar a day off and would be opening the diner a little late today. They stood at the front door.

"Christopher is coming over today right?" Luke asked.

"Yeah, I told him to come for lunch."

"Okay. Well, call me if you need anything." Luke replied. He was okay with Christopher coming over. He needed to know about Lorelai's diagnosis.

"I will. Have a good day at the diner hon." Lorelai gave him a small smile.

He leaned in and gave her a lingering kiss goodbye.

"Bye."

"Bye." She gave him a little wave.

A few hours later, Lorelai left the Inn and headed home. Christopher would be arriving soon. She made two cups of coffee and sat at the table, waited for him. There was a knock at the door a couple minutes later. Lorelai got up and walked over to the front door. She opened it to find Christopher standing there. She hadn't told him anything, just that she had to tell him something, and that she couldn't do it over the phone.

"Hey, Lor." Christopher grinned.

"Hi Chris, come in." Lorelai didn't smile.

Christopher stepped in and reached out to Lorelai, tried to kiss her cheek, but she pulled back. He shrugged and followed her to the kitchen. They sat at the table.

Christopher took a sip of his coffee before he spoke. "Where's Rory?" He asked.

"She went to Lane's." Lorelai replied.

Christopher nodded. "So what did you want to tell me?"

Lorelai took a deep breath. "I have cancer." She said bluntly.

Christopher almost spit out his coffee. "What?" He exclaimed.

"I have breast cancer."

"I… wow. I don't know what to say."

Lorelai gave him a tentative smile. "You probably weren't expecting that."

"No. I thought maybe you wanted to discuss something about Rory." He admitted.

 _You never seem to be that interested in Rory when you show up here. It's usually me you're after._ Lorelai thought to herself.

"No. I just thought you should know. I'm going to start treatment in a couple days." She told him.

"Okay, uh thanks for telling me. I'm sorry to hear about it. Is there anything you need? Anything I can do for you?"

Lorelai pressed her lips together and gazed at him. She knew there was nothing she needed from him but she appreciated the offer. "Um no, there's not really anything you could do for me. Just… be there for Rory if she needs you, if she asks for your support."

"Of course, and I'll be there for you to if you ever want to talk or anything." He said quickly.

 _I have Luke for that._ She thought. "Okay, thank you." She responded politely.

They finished drinking their coffees in silence. It was a bit awkward.

As Christopher was leaving, he asked: "Hey you think I can find Rory in town? I want to talk to her."

"Yeah, she should still be at Lane's or maybe at Luke's."

"Alright, thanks Lor. And thanks… for telling me."

Lorelai just nodded. Then she had a thought. "Hey, Chris?" She said before he walked out the door.

He turned, "Yeah?"

"Don't go to Luke's, with Rory." She didn't want Luke to be uncomfortable or upset.

"I won't... and uh I'm sorry about what happened at your parent's vow renewal. I had too much to drink that night." He muttered.

"Don't worry about it. Just don't do anything like that again." Lorelai responded.

Christopher nodded. "Okay, bye Lorelai. Call me to keep me updated, okay?"

"Okay." She said gently. Christopher left.

* * *

Luke came home early that night and cooked dinner for the girls. After dinner, they all sat in the living room and watched a movie. Watching movies and doing things that she normally did helped Lorelai cope. She was comforted by doing normal thing before she started treatment and having Luke and Rory next to her made it even more comforting. Rory hadn't mentioned Christopher, so Lorelai assumed that they didn't see each other in town.

Lorelai spent the night before she was due to start chemo waiting for Luke to come home from the diner. When he finally came home, he found her in the bedroom, watching T.V.

She turned off the T.V. as soon as he walked in the bedroom.

"Sorry I'm late. Kirk wanted a second piece of pie and he refused to leave until I gave to him." Luke shook his head. He stripped his shoes, his flannel and his undershirt.

"It's okay. You're home now." Lorelai got up and walked over to him. As he started to unbutton his jeans, she put a hand on his to stop him.

She leaned in and gave him a long, deep kiss.

"Well hello to you too." Luke laughed.

Lorelai smiled and reached down to unbutton his jeans for him. Luke took a step back.

She frowned at him. "Luke, I want to do this one last time before we can't… chemo can kill your sex drive too, I read it online."

"But Rory's downstairs." He muttered.

"Yes, and Rory is a twenty year old woman. She knows we have sex, Luke. She can't hear us… besides she's asleep."

Luke glanced at her. He quickly changed his mind and took a step forward and wrapped her up in his arms, kissed her passionately.

She giggled against his lips. Her clothes quickly found their way to the floor, his jeans joined them. They slowly made their way to the bed. As Luke held himself above her, Lorelai looked into his eyes and whispered:

"I love you."

Luke brushed hair off her face and whispered "I love you too."

Afterwards, they lied tangled together.

"You ready for tomorrow?" He asked.

"As ready as I'll ever be." She said firmly.

He brought her hand to his lips and kissed it.

"I'll be there for every minute."

"I know." She whispered. He had decided to take the day off. He had informed Lane (Rory had told her first) and Caesar of the situation and they told him they'd handle the diner.

"Goodnight babe." She said softly. She pressed a kiss to his chest.

"'Night," He replied. He kissed the top of her head.

She moved to his side and he wrapped an arm around her. They fell asleep an hour later, their thoughts and worries keeping them up.

 **Author's note: Thank you for reading, following, favouriting and reviewing this story. Reviews are always encouraged. The next chapter will be Lorelai's first treatment; it should be up no later than a week from now.**


	6. First Treatment

The next morning, Lorelai woke up feeling nervous. Luke was not in bed, but his side of the bed was still warm so Lorelai suspected that he had just gotten up. She checked the time; it was just after 8 A.M. She figured that Luke was downstairs eating breakfast.

After lying there in silence trying to clear her mind of frightening thoughts, Lorelai got up and headed downstairs. She found Luke sitting at the kitchen table, eating.

He looked up when she walked into the room. "Morning," He said gently.

She took a seat across from him. "Morning hon. Rory's not up yet?"

Luke shook his head. "No. I didn't reall cook anything; I just made oatmeal for myself."

Lorelai understood. Rory would be woken by the smell of pancakes or eggs and bacon cooking, not oatmeal. "I think I'll go wake her up."

"Okay. I can make some French toast or something for her before we leave." Luke replied.

Lorelai smiled. "I think she'd like that." She opened Rory's bedroom door and stepped inside, closing the door almost all the way behind her.

Rory was still sleeping. Lorelai walked over to the bed and bent down next to the side Rory was sleeping on. She reached out and gently touched Rory's hair. She thought about what Rory would have to face during the next few months. She would have to watch her mother, her best friend, the person she was closest to fight for her life. Lorelai couldn't imagine what that must feel like.

Rory moved suddenly and Lorelai pulled her hand away. Rory slowly opened her eyes. She saw Lorelai.

"Hey." She whispered.

"Good morning, sweets. How'd you sleep?" Lorelai responded.

"Fine," Rory said quickly.

Lorelai wondered if Rory was lying, but she didn't want to press her. This day would be hard enough already.

"How are you feeling?" Rory asked as she started to get out of bed.

"I'm all right. A little nervous, but I suppose that can't be helped." Lorelai told her the truth. She knew there would be no sense in trying to pretend everything was fine.

Rory gave her a quick hug. Lorelai smiled at her when she pulled away. Rory didn't have to say anything to show her support and love. Lorelai knew that both Rory and Luke would stay by her side no matter what.

"Did Luke make us a yummy breakfast again?" Rory asked.

"No, but he said he could make something for you before we leave."

Rory smiled. "I love having Luke here… not just because he can cook us breakfast at home though, I-"

Lorelai cut her off, "I know, hon." She knew that Rory loved and cared for Luke deeply, and vice versa.

They left Rory's room and went into the kitchen.

"Hey Rory, any special requests for breakfast?" Luke flashed a smile at her.

"Hey Luke, French toast would be perfect thanks."

Lorelai and Luke exchanged a look. Lorelai gave him a knowing smile.

Since Luke had moved in, they had never run out of food. Luke got up took out the ingredients and cooking utensils needed for French toast. Rory sat down at the table and Lorelai stood next to Luke.

"You want anything?" He asked her, hoping that she would be able to eat something.

"I'll just have coffee and a muffin." Lorelai said in a low voice.

Luke nodded, accepted that she was probably too nervous to eat much. She continued standing there.

"I'll make coffee for both of you, you can sit down." He told her.

Lorelai glanced at him for a few seconds before she stepped behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist.

Luke placed a hand on top of hers.

"Thank you." She whispered in his ear.

"You don't need to thank me." He murmured.

She pressed a quick kiss to his cheek before she removed her arms from around him and sat down.

After the girls ate breakfast, Luke and Lorelai went upstairs to get dressed and get ready.

* * *

An hour and a bit later, the three of them arrived at the hospital. They met with Stephanie, who took them to a private room to meet.

Once they had all taken a seat, Stephanie said:

"Now, I know I told you that you could start treatment today, but we think it would be best if you had a port installed first."

"What's a port?" Luke asked before Lorelai had the chance to.

"It's a device that's implanted in your skin; it's a way to administer the chemo. And after reviewing Lorelai's case more thoroughly, we've come to the conclusion that it would be easier to install one than to insert an IV each time chemo is administered." Stephanie informed them.

"Okay. And how is it installed?" Lorelai asked.

"It's a simple procedure, performed with a local anesthetic. You could have it done today and start chemo in a couple days… I'm just sorry I didn't realize that it would be easier to use a port in your case."

"And there are no risks associated with the procedure?" Rory asked nervously.

"As with any surgical procedure, there's a risk for infection, but it's a very low risk." Stephanie told her.

Rory nodded.

"Okay. I'll do it. Set me up." Lorelai said firmly.

Luke looked at her and he could tell by the look on her face that she was ready. He knew she was trying her best to be strong and brave.

"All right, I'll go get everything set up." Stephanie concluded.

A few hours later, Lorelai was out of surgery. Luke and Rory had stayed in the hospital the whole time and they were there when Lorelai spent some time in a recovery room before going home. On the ride home, Lorelai went back to being her usually self for a bit when she joked that she was "kind of like a robot" now with the port in place. It lightened the mood and Rory and Luke were glad for that.

Lorelai had decided that she wanted to wait a little longer to tell the town. They didn't attend the one town meeting that took place during the week since Lorelai's diagnosis. The only people that knew were Rory, Luke, Sookie, Jackson, Lane, Logan and the Dragonfly staff, as Lorelai told them that she would be taking time off.

* * *

A couple days after her port was installed, Lorelai finally went to the hospital to receive her first chemo treatment. Luke and Rory came of course. They did blood work and took vitals, and before that Lorelai filled out a lot of paperwork. A little while later, they were escorted to a private room. Lorelai was told that she would receive the first couple of treatments in a private room, and then move to a bay where other patients received chemo.

Both Luke and Rory were allowed to stay in the room while Lorelai received treatment. It took a little while to get everything set up. About thirty minutes after she arrived in the room, her treatment was officially started. A nurse stayed in the room for a little while to make sure everything was going smoothly. Once she had left, the room went silent.

Luke sat in the chair next to Lorelai's. Rory was in another chair a few feet away. Luke played with Lorelai's hair and asked: "You okay?"

Lorelai just nodded.

Rory stood up abruptly. "I'm gonna go get a coffee. Do you want anything, Luke?"

"No, but thanks Rory," Luke responded.

Rory left the room without saying another word.

"Is she okay?" Luke asked Lorelai.

"Hmm… I don't know really. I think she's scared to talk to me, but I told her she could… my dad also said she could talk to him."

"It's gotta be hard for her, seeing you like this." Luke said gently.

Lorelai nodded. Then she gasped suddenly.

"What?" Luke was alarmed. He was worried that she was in pain.

"It's just that, your dad died from cancer, Luke. You had to watch him die and now you have to see me go through this." She looked away from him.

Luke squinted at her. He reached out and cupped her chin gently. "Hey." He whispered.

She looked at him.

"Yes, I had to watch my dad go through that and it was awful, but I'm going to stay by your side not matter what. It's going to be rough sometimes, but you need me and I'm never going to leave. We're going to face this together." He told her.

Lorelai felt tears prick her eyes. She knew he would say something like that. Of course she appreciated that he would stay by her side; she just didn't want to see him hurt or upset.

She whispered, "Okay." He quickly kissed the top of her head.

The nurse came in then to check on things. She told Lorelai that she could sleep if she felt tired. A few minutes after the nurse left, Lorelai wondered why Rory hadn't returned yet. Luke told her that he would go look for Rory. He also told her to rest while he was gone.

Luke didn't have to go far to find Rory, she was sitting on a chair down the hall.

"Hey." He greeted her as he came to stand in front of her chair.

Rory looked up, "Oh hey, Luke. Is Mom okay?" She sounded a little worried.

"She's fine, she was just wondering where you were so I came to find you."

"Oh, yeah sorry um I just kinda wanted to get out of there for a bit." Rory looked away and took a sip of her coffee.

"I understand. It's tough to see her like that." Luke replied. He took the seat next to her.

"It really is." Rory said in a low voice.

"She's worried about you too, you know. She wants you to be able to talk to her about your feelings, but I get that that may be hard for you. She also said that your grandpa offered his support to you?" Luke looked at her, a bit of a wary expression on his face.

Rory managed to give him a small smile. "Yeah, Mom and I both have a good support system."

Luke smiled back. "And you can talk to me too." He offered.

Rory nodded. "I know." She wiped at the tears that had started to fall down her face.

Luke stood up. "Ready to come back?" He asked hesitantly.

"Um… yeah," Rory stood up. She sniffed and Luke put his arm out, offering a hug.

Rory smiled and Luke pulled her in for a quick hug. When they pulled apart, Rory picked up her coffee cup and waited for Luke to lead the way back to Lorelai's room.

"We're all going to get through this together." He told her.

Rory smiled softly. "I know." They went back to the room to find Lorelai asleep. The next couple hours were spent in the hospital. When her treatment was done, Lorelai received post-treatment care instructions and booked her next treatment session before leaving. Luke drove Lorelai home in his truck, Rory took her own car.

* * *

About an hour after returning home, Lorelai called her parents. Emily answered.

"Lorelai, I was expecting a call from you today. How did it go?"

"Hey, Mom um it went fine. I feel fine, just a little tired."

"You're not in pain?" Emily asked.

"No, the side effects won't kick in for at least a couple days. I'm fine." Lorelai told her.

"All right. Thank you for calling, Lorelai. I appreciate that you're keeping us informed."

"Of course Mom," Lorelai replied simply. She heard Emily saying speaking to someone else.

"Your father wants to talk to you." Emily told Lorelai.

"Okay, put him on."

Lorelai told Richard the same thing she had told Emily. Richard had the same reaction as Emily. He also thanked Lorelai for keeping them updated. Lorelai was grateful to have their support of course. Richard asked to speak to Rory so Lorelai gave the phone to her.

* * *

Luke had gone to the diner to check on things and close up. Just as he was locking the door behind him, Taylor walked up to him.

"Luke! Just the man I wanted to see."

Luke rolled his eyes. "I can't talk right now Taylor." He just wanted to get home.

"Well, I would have talked to you before now, but I haven't seen you in the past week. Every time I came into the diner looking for you, I'd find Caesar or Lane." Taylor explained.

"Well, I've been really busy for the past week." Luke said quickly.

"Busy with what?" Taylor asked blatantly.

Luke glared at him. "None of your business,"

"Fine, but I've been trying to contact you because I need to know if you still want the Twickham house. You haven't given me the down payment or anything yet. If you still want it, you're going to have to let me know, Luke."

Luke stared at him. He completely forgot to tell Taylor that he was backing out of wanting to own the Twickham house. He had just ripped up the cheque the other day. He knew that it would be better to live at Lorelai's house, especially given the current situation.

"Oh, sorry Taylor, I don't want the Twickham house anymore." He told him.

Taylor looked taken aback. "Really? Are you sure, Luke? You seemed so intent on owning it before."

"I'm sure, Taylor. I'm living with Lorelai in her house… that's all you need to know." Luke started to walk away. Taylor didn't try to stop him. He seemed to understand somehow.

After Rory finished talking to Richard, she checked her cell phone and saw that there was a message. She played it:

"Hey Ace. I know you may not be able to get back to me right away because of what's going on today, but I need to see you. My dad said something… about you, something about what happened at the paper when you interned there. I don't know. I just need to ask you what happened because what my father said made no sense. So call me back when you can. Bye."

Rory sighed. She didn't want to deal with this right now. She didn't call Logan back. She left her bedroom and found Lorelai upstairs in her bedroom. Without saying a word, Rory walked up and hugged her mom.

Lorelai grinned and hugged her back. When Rory pulled away, she asked:

"What was that for?"

"Nothing, I just thought you might need a hug." Rory answered.

Lorelai smiled. "Well, thanks honey."

"Are you still feeling okay?" Rory asked.

"Yep. I'm gonna head to bed once Luke gets back though. ..Unless you want to watch a movie or something?"

Rory shook her head. "No. I'm gonna head to bed too. I'm tired." She admitted.

"Today was a big day for everyone, wasn't it?" Lorelai conceded.

"Yeah," Rory agreed.

"Are _you_ feeling okay hon?" Lorelai asked. She knew it was important to ask Rory how she was felling and to show her that she could talk about anything.

"Um, yeah. I'm okay. I mean I guess I wasn't before and I'm sorry I just left. But I'm okay now, really." Rory said slowly.

"Okay. You don't have to apologize about before, I get it." Lorelai replied.

Rory just nodded. Lorelai opened her arms and Rory went into them.

"Love you, Mom." Rory said softly.

"Love you too." Lorelai responded.

When they pulled apart, they walked downstairs. They said goodnight to each other before Rory went into her room.

Luke walked in the door a minute later. Lorelai was heading towards the stairs when she heard the door open. She turned around and met Luke in the entryway.

Once he had taken off his boots, he looked up and saw her standing there. "Hey." He greeted her casually.

"Hey back." Lorelai walked up to him and gave him a hug.

"Are you okay with going to bed now?" She asked when she pulled away.

"Sure." He replied. He felt exhausted.

They headed upstairs. They got ready for bed quickly and cuddled up close under the sheets.

"'Night hon." Lorelai said gently.

"'Night," Luke responded. He stoked her cheek gently and gave her an affectionate look. Even though it was dark, and they couldn't see each other, Lorelai smiled. They knew how the other felt without words.

 **Author's note: Thanks for reading, reviewing, following and favouriting this story. Please feel free to leave a review, let me know your thoughts on this chapter.**


	7. Love and Support

After two days had passed and Rory hadn't called Logan back, he had decided to go visit her. Luke and Rory were eating breakfast while Lorelai slept when there was a knock at the door.

"I'll get it." Rory told Luke. She got up and walked to the door.

She opened the door and saw Logan standing there.

"Oh, Logan, hi,"

"Hey, can we talk? You never called me back." Logan replied.

"Oh, yeah sorry about that… things have kind of been crazy. Come on in, we can go to my room." Rory said slowly.

Logan followed her inside when they went through the kitchen, Rory told Luke:

"Uh, Logan and I are going to talk in my room."

Luke stared at Logan for a few seconds. There was a bit of tension in the room. "Okay, I was just about to head to the diner to make sure Caesar handled the deliveries okay. Tell your mom she can call me if she needs anything."

Rory just nodded and she and Logan went into her bedroom. Rory shut the door behind her. Luke got up and left the house.

Logan sat on the edge of Rory's bed. "We need to talk about what happened at your internship. My father said some things t-"

Rory interrupted him: "What did he say?" She asked angrily.

"I was getting to that." Logan glowered at her. "He said that you weren't cut out for the job, that you don't have enough drive or whatever. And I just couldn't believe it, I mean I know you're passionate about becoming a journalist and I know you're smart and a hard worker, so I just couldn't believe that he could think that lowly of you." Logan's brow furrowed as he stared at Rory, waiting for a response.

Rory bit her lip. "Well, he did say that to me. He told me that I don't have 'it', that in the real world it's not good enough to just do what's asked of you…" She sighed.

"And you listened to him?" Logan asked.

"Yes, I did." Rory whispered hoarsely. She looked down. "What if he was right…? I mean he's a professional, he should know what he's saying."

Logan stood up and shook his head. He started pacing around the room. "Rory… my father is a bully! He doesn't care what people think and he doesn't care if he hurts them… he just says what's on his mind, what he thinks is right." He told her, raising his voice.

Rory reached out and stopped him from pacing. "Logan, please. What if he _is_ right, maybe I'm not cut out to be a journalist." She looks him in the eye.

"Rory, no, come on you can't change your dream just because one person thinks you can't do it… especially if that person is my father." Logan scoffed.

Rory sighed deeply and walked over to sit on her bed. "Well, I'm sorry Logan… but he could be right. I just want to forget about this for now. I want to focus on my mom. She needs me right now."

Logan walked over and sat next to her. "Ace," He said gently. She looked at him.  
"That's fine, I understand that you want to focus on your mom, but you still should have told me what happened with my father. He shouldn't get away with treating you like that."

"But I don't want it to become a big thing between you and him, so please just forget about it for now." Rory replied.

Logan sighed. "Fine, but don't go making any rash decisions because of what he said."

"Okay." Rory said quietly.

Logan stood up. "I have to get going. My dad said he wants me to graduate this coming year. He said he wants me to start attending shareholder meetings and things like that." He groaned.

Rory stood up. "Oh, well try not to sound so excited." She joked.

Logan frowned. "Just call me if you need to talk or anything okay?" He said quickly.

"Um okay, bye," She leaned in for a kiss.

Logan pecked her lips then quickly left the room.

Rory lied down on her bed and pressed her face into a pillow. She felt like everything was starting to fall apart.

* * *

The next day, Lorelai decided she wanted to attend the town meeting and tell them about her cancer. Luke asked if she was sure and she told him she was. She even went into the Soda Shoppe and told Taylor that she would like to announce something at the meeting. Taylor was curious and told her that that wasn't usually allowed, but she told him that what she needed to say was important, so he gave in.

Lorelai waited until the end of the meeting to stand up in front of the town.

She looked out at all the familiar faces and tensed up. She decided to start with a joke to defuse the tension and ease her nerves.

"Um, I have to tell you something important, but I'm going to start off with a joke to make this easier."

A ghost of a smile appeared on Luke's face. He knew that it was easier for her to do it this way.

"Uh, what does a skeleton order at a restaurant?" Lorelai asked.

The room was silent. Everybody looked worried.

"Spare ribs!" Lorelai laughed nervously. Only one person laughed. "Sorry that wasn't funny was it?"

Miss Patty, who was in the front row, gave Lorelai a sympathetic smile. "Just tell us what you want to tell us, honey, we'll understand."

Lorelai took a deep breath. "Okay. I have breast cancer and I started treatment a couple of days ago."

The room was silent again. A minute passed before Miss Patty spoke again,

"Oh honey that's awful…I don't know what to say."

Taylor stood up and walked over to Lorelai. "Why did you announce this at the meeting?" He whispered so only Lorelai could hear.

"Because I wanted to tell everyone at once, I didn't want it to spread around town… I wanted people to hear it from me without thinking it was a rumor." Lorelai said loudly enough for everyone to hear.

"Well if you ever need anything, you let me know sugar." Babette piped up.

"You can talk to me too, Lorelai." Miss Patty said.

"Me too," Lulu said quietly.

Other town members started to show their support too. Lorelai was overwhelmed by their reaction. She started to tear up. Since she had arrived and had gotten to know everyone, she had truly felt at home in Stars Hollow. The people could be a little wacky sometimes, but they were also kind and caring. She knew they'd have her back no matter what.

Luke got up and went to stand next to Lorelai. He placed a hand on her shoulder.

"You all right?" He asked.

"I'm fine, just a little overwhelmed by everyone's reaction." She told Luke, tears making her eyes look shiny.

Luke just pulled her to his side and pressed a quick kiss to her temple.

A number of people came up to Lorelai and showed their support. They offered her hugs and she was so grateful to have friends and neighbours like them. She and Rory both thanked them. Taylor apologized for what he said earlier and offered to start a fundraiser for the cost of her treatment. Lorelai told him that Emily and Richard would be handling the cost of treatment.

* * *

A couple days later, a few side effects of the chemo hit Lorelai. She experienced nausea and some fatigue. The nausea led to an occurrence of vomiting which Luke was there to hold her hair back. As recommended by the nurse, Luke picked up some prescribed anti-sickness medication which helped. Both Luke and Rory joked that they were surprised Lorelai experienced the sickness since she had an iron stomach. That made Lorelai smile.

A few days before her next scheduled treatment, Lorelai went to Friday night dinner. Luke and Rory also came. Over drinks, (Lorelai opted to have just water) they discussed Lorelai's treatment a bit, but they also talked to Luke about how the diner was doing. Richard even offered to franchise the diner again, which Luke politely declined.

"How's Logan doing, Rory?" Emily asked

"Hmm?" Rory seemed to be lost in thought.

"Logan, how is he?"

"Oh, he's fine. His dad's keeping him busy this summer." Rory told her.

"That's nice. Is he graduating from Yale this coming year?"

"I think so." Rory replied vaguely.

Emily nodded. "And how about your friend from Yale… Paris?"

"I don't know. I haven't seen her since school finished. Why are you asking about them?"

"Oh, your grandfather and I were just wondering if you had anyone to talk to beside us… we'll be here for you if you need us of course. I just thought you may not always want to talk to us or we might not always be able to." Emily divulged.

Rory's eyes softened. "I know Grandma. Don't worry, Mom and I both have a great support system and that includes you and Grandpa." She smiled softly.

Lorelai also offered Emily and Richard a smile.

"That's nice to know." Emily admitted.

"And you're handling everything okay so far Rory?" Richard asked a bit hesitantly.

"Yeah, I'm okay. You know… it's hard to see Mom go through this." She glanced at Lorelai who gave her a sympathetic smile. "But, everything's going to be okay, I know it."

Richard nodded. "Your mother is a strong woman." He looked at Lorelai. "I know you can get through this Lorelai." He said sincerely.

Lorelai was touched, "Thanks Dad."

Richard gave her a gentle smile.

"He's right." Emily said. "Your strength is one of your greatest qualities, Lorelai."

"I agree." Luke chimed in.

Rory also agreed. She nodded.

After dinner, Emily pulled Lorelai aside and asked to talk to her. They went into Richard's study.

"Luke and Rory were there when you received treatment, right?" Emily asked.

"Yeah," Lorelai confirmed.

"How would you feel if… may I come see you when you have your next treatment?"

Lorelai was a little shocked. She didn't think Emily would be interested in seeing her receive chemo.

"Well, I don't know Mom… it's not exactly a fun thing to see."

Emily frowned. "I know that Lorelai. I just… would like to be there."

Lorelai could tell that Emily just wanted to show that she cared.

"Okay, Mom you can come." She told her the date of her next scheduled treatment.

"Thank you." Emily said simply.

"No Mom, thank you." Lorelai said sincerely.

* * *

Later on that night, Luke and Lorelai watched TV in bed. Luke didn't really pay attention, as he didn't really have an interest in the show Lorelai was watching. Lorelai absently played with his hand while she watched.

"Hey, have I ever told you how happy I am to have you here every night?" She asked.

"No, I don't think so but it's nice to hear." Luke smiled.

"So it looks like my Mom is going to show up at my next treatment." She told him.

"Hmm, when you were talking to her, your dad asked me what it was like to watch you receive treatment… he said he couldn't imagine having to watch your Mom go through that."

"What did you tell him?" Lorelai asked slowly.

"That it was hard to watch you of course… but also that I would never leave you."

Lorelai smiled as she felt tears well up her eye. She reached out and touched his cheek. "What did my dad say?" She asked gently.

"He actually said that he was glad that you have me in your life… I was a little surprised to be honest. And he said he might want to visit you in the hospital too…" He replied.

Lorelai couldn't help but smile. "My parents aren't actually so bad, are they?" She didn't know how else to say it. She really was amazed by the love and support Emily and Richard were showing her.

Luke nodded and smiled back. He yawned and blinked.

"Ready for bed?" Lorelai asked with a small smile.

"If you are,"

Lorelai nodded and turned off the TV. She moved in the bed to get comfortable then stopped. She turned to face Luke.

"Kiss." She requested.

He gave her a quick, sweet kiss.

She lied down close to him, facing him. He lied down too.

"'Night," He said gently.

'Night," She said back as she closed her eyes.

* * *

 **Author's note: Thank you for all the nice reviews, I really appreciate them. Please feel free to share your thoughts on this chapter.**


	8. Second Treatment

On the day of Lorelai's next chemo treatment, Emily kept her word and visited Lorelai in the hospital. She showed up when Lorelai was about half an hour into receiving the treatment.

"How are you feeling, Lorelai?" She asked as she walked in the room.

"Fine, Mom thanks for asking." Lorelai responded with a small smile.

Rory was sitting next to Lorelai's chair. Luke was in the chair that was a few feet away.

Emily took a seat next to Luke. "Are the nurses treating you right?" She asked, sounding concerned.

Lorelai nodded. "They've been great, so has my oncologist. Maybe you could meet her sometime."

Emily nodded. "Your father wanted to come too, but he had to leave town for a business trip unfortunately."

Lorelai smiled. "That's all right. I'm happy that you're here."

Emily gave her a small smile in return.

The room went silent for about a minute until Luke's cell phone started ringing.

He cursed. "I forgot to turn it off, sorry." He looked at the phone. "It's Caesar. I'll go answer it." He got up and quickly left the room.

"Rory, you look exhausted." Emily pointed out.

Lorelai glanced at Rory and noticed that she did look tired.

"Oh um, I'm fine Grandma. I just didn't get enough sleep last night." Rory murmured.

Lorelai bit her lip and looked down. She knew it was wrong to feel guilty, but she felt like she was the reason that Rory was losing sleep.

"Well, we could go to the cafeteria to get you something to eat." Emily offered.

"I already had breakfast before we came here. I'm not really hungry." Rory answered.

"Nonsense, I'm sure you had breakfast hours ago. You need to eat…" Emily rationalized.

Rory glanced at Lorelai, who gave an encouraging nod.

"All right, as long as Mom is okay with being left alone." Rory said, looking at Lorelai again.

"It's fine with me hon, don't worry. I'm sure Luke will be back soon anyway." Lorelai told her.

Rory nodded slowly and Emily stood up and walked over to the door. She waited until Rory walked over and they left the room together.

Once they were out of the room with the door shut behind them, Rory announced:

"I have to go make a phone call. Luke's call reminded me."

"What? You told me you were coming to the cafeteria." Emily interjected.

"I know I'm sorry. I promise I'll meet you there when I'm done." Rory replied. She started to walk away.

"Rory!" Emily raised her voice, but Rory didn't stop walking.

Emily shook her head and headed to the cafeteria alone.

* * *

About five minutes after Emily and Rory left, Luke returned to Lorelai's room. He stepped inside and looked around.

"Where did Rory and your Mom go?" He asked.

"The cafeteria. They're having lunch." Lorelai told him.

Luke nodded. He sighed.

"What's wrong honey?" Lorelai asked.

"Well Caesar just told me that he's having a hard time handling the lunch rush. Lane just left for her band's tour and my other employees are either out of town or sick. There's only one cook and Caesar there right now… I think I'm gonna have to go help them."

Lorelai nodded. "That's okay. There isn't much to do here."

Luke's eyes met hers. "You'll be okay without me… I mean uh-"

Lorelai interrupted him, "I'll be fine, Luke. Don't worry. I've got Rory and my mom to keep me company."

Luke started at her for a few seconds before he answered. He was trying to read her expression, but it was unreadable.

"Okay, as long as you're sure you'll be all right."

"Yes, I'm sure. I've got my call button in case I need a nurse." She held up the button.

Luke nodded. "Okay I'll see you later. I should be back on time to take you home." He bent down and pressed a quick kiss to her cheek.

Lorelai gave him a soft smile before he turned around and walked out of the room.

* * *

Rory arrived in the cafeteria twenty minutes after Emily did.

"Who were you calling, Logan?" Emily asked as Rory took the seat across the table.

"Yeah. I just wanted to catch up with him." Rory picked up the coffee cup in front of her and took a sip. There was also a sandwich on the table.

"And how is he?"

"Fine." Rory said quickly.

Emily decided to not to press her. "I got you a BLT. I hope that's all right."

"It's fine." Rory offered her a smile and picked up the sandwich.

Emily had already finished eating, so she just sipped her coffee while Rory ate.

When Rory had finished eating, Emily spoke: "I… it was very hard to see your mother like that. I still can't believe she's going through this." She said bluntly.

Rory took a breath before she spoke. "Yeah, it's still surreal to me too… to everyone. I was here when she had her first treatment, but it hasn't gotten easier… it's still hard to see her like that."

Emily nodded. "I forgot to ask her, does your father know about this?"

"Yeah. He came over and she told him."

"And how did he react?"

"I wasn't at the house when he was there, but she told me he had a normal reaction… he was shocked and he offered his support." Rory said slowly.

"Hmm, and you didn't see him at all while he was in town?" Emily asked with a frown.

"No. I was at Lane's and around the town that day. He didn't come find me I guess." She shrugged.

Emily looked appalled. "Well, that's not right. He should be there to support you. He should offer you his time…"

Rory sighed. "He knows my number… I don't know, I think maybe he sees that Mom has Luke and he knows she doesn't really need him."

"That's ridiculous!" Emily exclaimed.

"Grandma!" Rory whispered loudly, becoming aware that people were staring at them.

"Well I'm sorry Rory, but he's your father and he should be there for you at a time like this. Family should stick together when they need each other." Emily's brow furrowed.

"I agree, but in a way, I don't need him. I have Luke, and you and Grandpa and Lane and Logan and so many others. Dad will show up or call if he wants to. I can't tell him what to do." Rory replied in a low voice.

Emily pressed her lips together. "You really don't need him?" She sounded amazed.

Rory took a few seconds to respond. "No. Over the years, he's proven to be unreliable. Yes, I love him… he's my dad. But I feel perfectly fine without him here. I have a good support system."

Emily looked displeased and Rory expected her to protest. "All right, I mean as long as you're okay with that." Emily muttered.

Rory just nodded. She stood up. "We'd better get back to Mom."

Emily agreed. She followed Rory out of the cafeteria.

* * *

When Rory and Emily returned to Lorelai's room, they found her asleep. Emily took the seat next to Lorelai. Rory took the seat Luke was sitting in before.

"Did she sleep last time?" Emily asked, sounding a bit surprised.

Yeah, it's normal." Rory told her.

They sat in silence for a bit. Neither of them knew what to say and they didn't want to wake Lorelai.

Emily reached out and pushed a bit of hair off Lorelai's face. Rory smiled at the gesture.

* * *

Luke returned to the hospital a couple hours later. Lorelai was getting ready to head home when he walked into her room.

"Hey handsome," She smiled at him.

Rory was still there. Emily had left.

"Hey." Luke smiled back. He was amazed that she could smile after what she had just experienced. "Did your mom go home?"

"Yeah, she had to get back to Hartford. Some D.A.R business or something she had to attend to." Rory informed him.

Luke nodded. "Ready to go?" He asked them both.

They both nodded. They all left the hospital.

At home, the three of them ate dinner together and watched a movie. Lorelai feel asleep on the couch before the movie ended.

"I'm going to head to bed." Rory told Luke when the movie ended.

It was only 9:00, but Luke didn't ask why Rory was going to bed early.

"Okay. 'Night," He said.

"'Night," Rory responded and she left the room.

Luke stood in front of the couch and looked down at Lorelai. He debated whether or not he should wake her. He bent down and touched her cheek gently. He was used to falling asleep at least an hour before she did, so this was something new for him. He decided to carry her upstairs to bed. He figured she would be more comfortable there.

He put one arm under her legs and the other under her shoulders. He lifted her with little effort. As he carried her up the stairs, she stirred a bit, pressed her face into his chest. She was still asleep, but she seemed to be aware of his presence somehow.

Luke carried her all the way to the bed and placed her on the bed. He quickly brushed his teeth and changed his clothes. He pulled the covers over Lorelai and got in the bed next to her. He turned off the light and settled in the bed. He fell asleep fast that night.

* * *

 **Author's note: Thank you for reading. I'm a little amazed at how many followers this story has to be honest. Please feel free to leave a review. Thanks again.**


	9. Changes

About a week later, Rory and Lorelai were sitting on the couch watching TV when there was a knock at the door.

"Are you expecting someone?" Lorelai asked Rory. Luke was at the diner.

"Just go answer the door." Rory said with a knowing smile.

Lorelai could tell that Rory obviously knew something. She raised her eyebrows at Rory before got up and walked over to the door.

She opened the front door and she gasped when she saw the person standing there.

"Mia?"

Mia grinned. "Surprised to see me?"

"Um yes, pleasantly surprised," Lorelai reached out and gently guided Mia inside.

Mia followed Lorelai into the living room.

"Why didn't you tell me you were coming to visit?" Lorelai asked. She felt guilty for not telling Mia about her diagnosis. But she knew it would be hard to tell her over the phone.

"Actually, I called Mia last week." Rory said as she stood up. She walked over to Mia and gave her a quick hug.

Lorelai realized she hadn't hugged Mia yet, so she gives her a quick hug too which Mia returned.

"Rory wanted to surprise you. We planned my visit together." Mia said as she smiled at the girls.

Lorelai smiled. She looked between Rory and Mia. "Well I'm glad you're here. I have something to tell you."

Mia nodded. "Rory mentioned that."

Lorelai glanced between Rory and Mia. "What did she tell you?"

Rory spoke up: "I just told her that you're not doing well, that you needed it would be good for Mia to visit."

Lorelai nodded. She and Mia sat on the couch. Rory sat in a chair.

Mia looked at Lorelai, a brooding expression on her face.

Lorelai took a deep breath. "Okay, I might as well come out and say it." She kept her eyes on Mia. "I have breast cancer."

Mia stared at Lorelai. She took a few seconds to react to the news. "Oh my… I." She stopped.

"It's not what you were expecting, is it?" Lorelai said with a sad smile.

Mia's eyes were shiny. "No. I'm not sure what to say."

"Well, I'm receiving treatment and everyone has been very loving and supportive." Lorelai's voice cracked a little. "Thank you for coming Mia."

"Of course, honey. I could tell Rory was distressed about something. I knew I had to come. Are you… handling everything okay?" Mia cringed like she regretted asking that.

Lorelai smiled. "I'm doing the best I can. Like I said, everyone has been really loving and supportive. I don't think I could go through this without them." She wiped at the corner of her eye as she felt a tear escape.

Mia reached out and touched Lorelai's knee. "You have many people that love you. You can get through this, I know you can." She patted Lorelai's hand. "You let me know if you need me for anything. Anything at all"

"I know." Lorelai replied simply.

Mia gave Lorelai a sympathetic smile then turned to Rory. "Are you handling this okay?"

Rory let out a breath. "I'm okay. Like Mom said, we have a great support system." She gave Mia a small smile. "I'm glad you came too."

Mia smiled back. They sat in the living room and spent some time catching up. Luke walked in the door about an hour later. When he saw Mia, he grinned.

"Mia. I didn't know you were coming to visit." He said

Mia stood up and Luke walked over to her. Luke gave her a hug.

"My visit was a surprise for Lorelai actually. I thought Rory would have told you about it." Mia told him.

Luke looked at Rory. Rory smiled sheepishly. "Sorry I didn't tell you Luke."

"It's all right." Luke replied with a small smile on his face.

"So Lucas, Lorelai tells me you've moved in?" Mia asked.

Luke's face turned a bit red. "Uh yeah, I moved in a few weeks ago…" He didn't meet Mia's eyes. "I'm sure Lorelai's told you about um-"

Mia cut him off. "Yes. I know." She said seriously.

Luke nodded slowly. Lorelai got up suddenly and walked up to Luke. Luke frowned at her until she gave him a quick kiss.

"Didn't get my hello kiss," Lorelai said with a grin.

Luke smiled at her.

"Lucas, why don't we catch up while Lorelai and Rory get some rest?" Mia suggested.

"But-"Lorelai started to protest.

Mia looked at her warily. "You told me you were exhausted, both of you need rest." She gave Rory a pointed look.

"She's right Mom, we both need sleep." Rory conceded.

Lorelai looked disappointed, but she gave Mia another hug. "I know you're just looking out for me and I love you for it." She said quietly.

Mia just smiled at her. Rory gave her a hug too. "See you tomorrow."

Lorelai and Rory left the room.

Luke sat next to Mia.

"Lorelai told me that you've stayed by her side through all of this." Mia said, sounding amazed.

"Of course I have." Luke said matter-of-factly.

Mia smiled. "I didn't expect anything less." He smile fell. "It's just that I saw how your father's cancer affected you. I'm just worried about you."

Luke looked down. "Yeah, it's not easy to see Lorelai like that. It does bring back awful memories of my dad, but Lorelai needs me. I won't leave her." He said solemnly.

Mia nodded slowly. "I'm happy that she has someone like you to be there for her at a time like this. But if _you_ ever need someone to talk to Lucas, I'm here for you."

Luke pressed his lips together, "I know." He said gently.

* * *

Mia stayed in town for the next couple days. On the night after Lorelai received her next treatment, she couldn't get to sleep. Luke was fast asleep next to her and she watched him sleep with a smile on her face. She gently touched his cheek. _How did I get so lucky to have him in my life?_ She asked herself. He was the man she could picture spending the rest of her life with she realized. She probably realized that before, but the current situation made her see that she had never loved any man the way she loved him.

Just as Lorelai moved to get out of the bed, Luke stirred suddenly. He jolted awake and sat up in bed. He gasped. Lorelai saw sweat on his brow.

"Luke?"

Luke didn't seem to hear her. He seemed lost.

"Honey? Are you all right?" Lorelai implored.

Luke slowly turned to face her. "Oh um, I just had a little nightmare. Go back to sleep. I'm fine." He said quickly.

"Actually I wasn't sleeping." Lorelai admitted. She reached out and ran her fingers through his hair. "Tell me about it."

Luke looked away. "It was nothing. Don't worry. Let's just go to sleep okay?" He pulled away and started to move to lie down.

Lorelai put a hand on his arm. "It was _not_ nothing, you're sweating and you gasped. Please, tell me Luke." She pleaded, her brow furrowed.

Luke saw the concerned look on her face and sighed. "Okay." He gazed at her. "In my nightmare, you… you died." His voice cracked on the last word.

"Oh Luke," Lorelai said softly. She didn't know what to say to try to comfort him.

Luke let out a shaky breath. Lorelai moved closer to him and kissed all over his face. She didn't know what else to so.

Luke pulled away and got out of bed. Lorelai was hurt. She squinted in the dark, watched his figure move to her side of the bed. He turned on the lamp that was on her nightstand.

He reached out to her. She got up quickly. Lorelai stood in front of him, waited for him to say or do something. He wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her into him.

Lorelai let out a sigh. She put a hand on the back of his head, pulled his face down to her shoulder. He pressed his face into her.

"Oh hon." She whispered.

"I'm sorry." He whispered.

"What are you apologizing for? You can't always be the strong one." She replied.

"But I'm supposed to be strong… for you." He said gruffly.

"Shh. It's okay." She said simply. She didn't want him to feel like he couldn't break down or be vulnerable in front of her.

She rubbed his back. Luke made a noise that was muffled as his face was pressed into Lorelai's shoulder.

Lorelai could tell that he was crying. She kept rubbing his back as she whispered. "Shh"

They held each other for a while before they finally went back to bed. They shared a few tender kisses before they fell asleep.

* * *

The next two weeks flew. Luke had to help Caesar in the diner, so Rory drove Lorelai to the hospital for a scheduled treatment. She was now receiving treatment in a bay with other patients. She had gotten to know a couple patients last treatment, but there were different patients there this time.

There was a young girl also receiving chemo who kept looking at Lorelai. Lorelai smiled at her. The girl looked away. Lorelai watched as the woman next to her, who Lorelai assumed to be her mother, whispered something in her ear. The girl nodded.

"I like your earrings." She told Lorelai with a tiny smile.

Lorelai grinned. She was wearing the earrings that Luke had given her at the Firelight Festival. "Thank you. I like your T-shirt."

The girl grinned back. Her shirt had the word 'warrior' printed across it. "Thank you."

"I'm Debra and this is my daughter Lexi." The woman introduced herself and the girl.

Lorelai smiled. "I'm Lorelai and this is my daughter, Rory."

Rory smiled. "Hi."

"Actually her name's Lorelai too, but that's a long story. How old are you?" Lorelai said.

"Thirteen. I got diagnosed with leukemia when I was twelve and I was in remission for a while, but my cancer came back so here I am." Lexi told her.

Lorelai was shocked that Lexi had told her about her cancer. She was shocked that someone so young could talk so openly about cancer. Lexi didn't seem upset or scared.

"She's a little trooper." Debra said as she patted Lexi's hand.

"I can tell. I think she's braver than I am. I'm new to this whole thing and it's a little scary for me." Lorelai said slowly.

"I was scared at first too, but the doctors helped me and I was really sick for a while but I got better. I'm sick again, but I believe I'll get better again. You will too." Lexi said quickly. She smiled at Lorelai again.

Lorelai was amazed at how positive she was. She was inspired by her courage. "Thank you for saying that honey, it really means a lot."

They chatted some more. Lexi noticed that Rory had a book and that got her talking. She was also a reader and Rory recommend some books to her that she enjoyed at her age.

A little while after Lexi and Debra left, Lorelai and Rory saw Sookie walking towards them. She looked relieved when she saw them.

"There you two are. I was directed here but I got lost on the way and I was panicking and." She took a breath.

"Woah, Sookie relax. You found us. Everything's okay now." Lorelai said calmly.

Sookie took a seat next to Rory. She glanced at Lorelai and Lorelai saw her swallow. She looked nervous.

"Wow. I… this is weird seeing you like this… I mean not weird just different. I haven't come seen you here and I feel like an awful friend and…" Sookie trailed off as she saw Lorelai smile.

"It's okay, Sook, really, don't worry about it." Lorelai said sincerely.

Sookie nodded. "I actually came because of a work thing, sorry." Lorelai had gone to work on the days when she felt okay. They were starting to become few and far between. "I just need you to sign something, is that okay?" Sookie reached into her purse. She looked up at Lorelai before she pulled a folder out of her bag.

"That's fine Sookie." Lorelai felt bad that she couldn't be at work. Even though she knew it couldn't be helped, she hated that Sookie, Michel and the staff had to take on extra work due to her absence.

Sookie took a couple sheets of paper out of the folder and Lorelai quickly signed them.

"I'm sorry. Here you are, receiving chemo and I come rushing in asking you to sign papers." Sookie gasped. "I didn't even ask how you are. I am terrible."

A few of the patients glanced at Sookie. She was a little loud.

"Sookie it's fine, really. It needed to be done. And I'm fine, but you seem to be stressed out. Are you okay honey?" Lorelai answered.

Sookie's brow furrowed. "I'm all right. A little stressed out but I can handle it. All that matters is that you get better." She gently touched Lorelai's arm.

Lorelai smiled a bit hesitantly. She didn't know what to say.

The girls chatted with Sookie. Lorelai was touched when Sookie told her that Michel admitted that he missed her. They also talked about Jackson and Davey and Martha. Sookie left as Lorelai was starting to fall asleep.

A couple hours later, Lorelai finished treatment. When she stood up, Rory gasped.

"What is it?" Lorelai asked, alarmed.

Rory pointed to the chair. Lorelai saw that there was a clump of her hair on it.

"Oh," She whispered.

Rory looked at Lorelai, a concerned expression on her face.

Lorelai met Rory's eyes. "Well I guess it had to happen sometime." She murmured.

Rory looked at her mother. She wasn't sure how Lorelai was going to react.

Lorelai started walking out of the room. Rory had to walk fast to catch up with her.

"I guess we'll have to get an electric razor." Lorelai said on the drive home.

Rory didn't say anything, she just nodded.

* * *

"Are you sure you want me to do this?" Rory asked as she held the razor up. They were standing in front of the bathroom mirror.

"Yes." Lorelai said simply.

"But Luke's not here to uh… see." Rory said a bit awkwardly.

"Oh yeah, you're right." Lorelai said slowly. Luke had left a message saying he'd be home late.

"Don't you think he'd like to be here for this?" Rory asked.

"He'll miss my hair, I know. He likes to play with it sometimes." Lorelai smiled sadly.

Rory didn't say anything. Her eyes met Lorelai's in the mirror.

"How about you just take a picture of me so we can remember what my hair looked like?"

"Um okay, but you could just wait until Luke comes home to shave your head…" Rory replied.

"No. I just want to get it over with. It's falling out in clumps and it will take a long time. It's better to just get it over with. I've read about people's stories online. They did the same thing." Lorelai told her.

"Okay." Rory said simply. She put down the razor and left to get a camera.

When she came back, she took a picture of Lorelai. Lorelai grinned for the camera. She didn't know how she'd feel after her hair was gone. She wanted to smile, for Luke.

They didn't say a word as Rory cut and shaved off Lorelai's hair. Once it was all off, Lorelai whispered, "Should I look in the mirror?"

"Yeah," Rory whispered back.

Lorelai brought her head up and looked in the mirror. She gasped softly. She definitely looked different. It would take some getting used to.

"Mom? Are you okay?" Rory asked gently.

Lorelai felt tears prick her eyes, but she didn't let them fall.

"I'll be okay." She whispered. She picked up the pink wool hat that was sitting on the counter. She slowly put it on. Lorelai looked at herself in the mirror again.

The room was silent for a minute. Lorelai turned and walked out of the bathroom. Rory followed her.

Rory stopped Lorelai by putting a hand on her arm. Lorelai looked at her. Rory pulled her into a hug. Lorelai giggled.

"Love you Mom."

Lorelai pulled back a little and kissed Rory's forehead. "Love you too kid."

* * *

Luke returned home a couple hours later. He didn't see Lorelai or Rory in the living room or the kitchen. He almost called out for them until he saw a note on the kitchen table. It said: _"I'm upstairs." XO –Lorelai_

Luke headed upstairs. He found Lorelai in the bedroom. She was on the bed with the lights off. He tiptoed in.

"Hey. Don't turn the lights on I have a surprise for you… you might freak out."

Luke almost jumped. He thought she was asleep. "Um okay," He said. Lorelai sat up and turned the bedside light on.

Luke glanced at her. He noticed that she was wearing a hat. He frowned.

"Okay, so my hair started falling out today." Lorelai took a deep breath. "So I asked Rory to shave my head."

Before Luke could say anything, Lorelai took the hat off. Luke started at her.

"Well? What do you think? I'm sorry I did it when you weren't here." Lorelai said in a low voice.

"Wow." Luke breathed.

 **Author's note: Little cliff hanger there hehe. Shout-out to the reviewer (Chloe) who said she would love to see Mia in the story, I never really thought about bringing her in before since she doesn't live in Stars Hollow. But I know she is important to the girls and Luke so I decided to include her. Thanks for reading, following, reviewing and favouriting this story. Please feel free to leave a review and let me know what you think of this chapter.**


	10. Struggles

" _Wow." Luke breathed._

Lorelai grimaced. "You hate it don't you? It looks awful." She looked away from him.

"No. I just… why did you do it when I wasn't here?" Luke asked calmly.

"I'm sorry. I just wanted to get it over with… it wasn't a well-thought out decision. You hate it don't you?" Lorelai replied.

Luke shook his head. He walked over to her. "I said no, I don't hate it. It's just going to take time to get used to."

Lorelai got up out of bed and stood in front of him. "I should have waited until you got home. You didn't get to um say goodbye to my hair." She whispered.

Luke frowned. He turned around and walked to the bathroom. Lorelai didn't know what he was doing, but she followed him.

Luke stood in the doorway of the bathroom. He was looking at the floor. Lorelai followed his gaze.

"Oh." She whispered. Her hair was still on the bathroom floor. She didn't sweep it up yet. She watched as Luke stepped inside the room and bended down to the floor. He stood up a second later. His fist was clenched.

He stood in front of Lorelai and held out his hand. A piece of her hair was in his hand.

"Oh, Luke," She said gently. It was obvious that he wanted to keep a piece of her hair.

Luke just nodded.

"Rory took a picture of me… before she cut my hair. I didn't think you'd want to keep any of my hair. I didn't think at all before I did this I'm sorry." She stammered.

"It's okay." He said quickly. She stepped aside. He walked back into the bedroom. "It's not like you did it to hurt me. I'm okay, really Lorelai. I knew this day was coming."

Lorelai walked over to him, watched as he placed the hair on his nightstand. He started unbuttoning his flannel. "Did you and Rory eat?" He asked.

"Um yeah, we ordered Chinese." Lorelai replied. She was a little shocked by the fact that he had seemed so nonchalant about her hair. "Um you're not mad at me then?"

He looked at her. "No. I mean, I would have liked to be here when you did it, but I understand that you just wanted to get it over with. I'm fine. Did everything go okay at the hospital?"

Lorelai gave him a small, appreciative smile. "Yeah everything was fine. Sookie was there for a little while and I met this thirteen year old girl who was way braver than I am." She smiled again. "I missed you though." She admitted.

Luke had changed out of his flannel and jeans and into a t-shirt and sweatpants. "I missed you too." He said gently. He walked back over to her.

She put her hand on the side of his face and leaned in to kiss his cheek and the spot below his ear.

When she pulled back, he said: "I'm gonna go get ready for bed, okay?"

She nodded. He went back to the bathroom.

Luke returned to the bedroom to find Lorelai in the bed. He got in his side and turned to face her. "Hey" He whispered to get her attention.

Lorelai turned her head to face him. He leaned in and kissed her gently. "Goodnight. Love you." He said.

"I love you too. Goodnight babe." She pecked his lips. She turned off the lamp and lied down. Luke reached for her and she automatically moved closer to him. She draped her arm across his torso and his arm came around her shoulders. They fell asleep in that position.

* * *

When Luke opened his eyes in the morning, he immediately noticed that Lorelai wasn't next to him. He heard a noise coming from the bathroom so he got up and walked over to it.

He found Lorelai standing in front of the sink, looking at herself in the mirror. She turned when she heard him step inside the room.

"I look like an alien." She deadpanned.

"You do not look like an alien. " He told her. She was looking in the mirror again, frowning. He stepped behind her and wrapped one arm around waist, pulled her against him.

Lorelai couldn't help the smile that spread across her face. She loved when he was affectionate. And she loved that he was trying to cheer her up.

When she brought her gaze back to the mirror, her smile was replaced by a frown. _I don't feel pretty anymore._ She couldn't say in out loud and if she did, she knew Luke would protest.

"You're beautiful, hair or no hair. I mean it." Luke told her.

Lorelai let a tear escape her eye. She needed to hear that, but she still didn't feel very beautiful. "Now I can't flip my hair to get you to do things." She joked.

Luke chuckled a little. He looked in the mirror to see that she was looking down.

"It'll grow back." He mumbled. He wasn't sure if that was the right thing to say.

"I know." She whispered. Their eyes met in the mirror and she put her hand on top of his, making him tighten his hold of her. She smiled. "This reminds me of when I pretended you were my 'special friend' when Sookie tried to set me up with the poultry guy."

"Hmph. The conversation we had after that made me buy a self-help book… which made me realize I was in love with you. It's why I asked you to come to Liz's wedding." He admitted.

Lorelai pulled away from him. She hit him playfully. "You never told that! I thought that was Jess' book!" She grinned.

Luke smiled back. "I was kind of ashamed of it… you made fun of the book when you thought it was Jess'. I didn't want to admit it was mine."

Lorelai shrugged. "Well, at least it made you realize you were in love with me. It brought us together." She smiled sweetly. "That dance at Liz's wedding made me see that I had been lying to myself when I said you were just a friend. That was our real first date, wasn't it?"

Luke just smiled and nodded. Lorelai looked back at the mirror. She released a deep sigh. Luke kissed her cheek. She started crying. Soon, there was a steady stream of tears falling down her face.

"Hey." Luke said gently. He gently turned her around so that she was facing him. She pressed her face into his chest. Her shoulders shook as he held her. After about a minute, she lifted her head and whispered:

"I miss my hair."

"I know." Luke said simply. She pressed into to him again, curving her body into his. He held her until she stopped crying.

* * *

Rory was awoken by the sound of her cell phone ringing. She groaned and opened her eyes. She looked at the clock on her nightstand and groaned again. _Who's calling me at 8 AM?_ She thought. She slowly moved in the bed and reached for her phone.

"Hello?" She answered, her voice a bit hoarse.

"Hey Ace." Logan's voice was cheerful.

"Logan? Why are you calling me so early? You woke me up…"

"Oh, sorry, I just thought you might want to see me. I'm standing outside your house." Logan replied. He still sounded very happy.

"Really?" Rory asked excitedly.

"Come see for yourself."

"Okay." Rory said simply. She hung up. She got of bed and threw a sweater on over her pajamas then left her bedroom. She didn't see Lorelai or Luke in the kitchen so she walked quietly as she didn't want to wake them. When she stepped outside, she saw Logan standing in front of the porch.

She ran down the steps and into his arms. They had kept in touch over the phone, but they had not seen each other since she had told him what had happened between her and Mitchum.

"I missed you too." Logan chuckled. Rory leaned in and kissed him. They shared a few lingering kisses.

"What are you doing here?" Rory asked when she pulled away.

"I'm here to see you of course. My dad gave me a day off, believe it or not. I want to spend the day with you. That's okay right?" He smiled.

Rory smiled back. "That's more than okay. Let me just leave a note for my mom, okay?"

Logan nodded. He pulled her in for another kiss before she turned around and walked back inside. Rory changed and left a note for Lorelai and Luke, letting them know where she'd be, telling them that she's have her cell phone with her so she could be reached.

About an hour later, Logan and Rory were at a restaurant in Hartford, waiting for their breakfast. Rory had updated him on Lorelai on the drive there.

After they chatted about what Logan had been up to, his facial expression changed, he looked serious.

"What's wrong?" Rory asked, concerned.

"I want to talk to you about the thing with my dad. I think we need to discuss it again." Logan met her gaze.

Rory opened her mouth to speak, but her cell phone rang. "I better get that, it could be my mom." She said quickly. She got up and walked out the door. She answered on the fourth ring.

"Hello?"

"Hey. We need to talk. Is this a bad time?" It was Paris' voice on the other line.

"Paris? Um sure I can talk. What's up?"

"I have to put down a security deposit today or we lose our place." Paris told her.

Rory was confused, "Our place?"

"Yes, our place." Paris replied.

"Our place where?" Rory had no idea what she was talking about.

"Our off-campus place. Come on Rory, you know about our place. I need to know that you still want our place." Paris sounded angry.

"Oh… Listen, Paris can I call you back later? I have a lot going on right now."

"But I need to know today!" Paris raised her voice.

"I know I'm sorry, Paris. I'll try to call you tonight. It's just… my mom isn't doing very well right now and everything is just… wrong." She let out a breath. "I promise I will let you know as soon as I can." Rory sniffed.

Paris took a few seconds to respond. "Oh um… I guess that would be okay. Is your mom all right?"

Rory had barely heard the end of Paris' sentence before she pressed the button to hang up the phone. She knew it was rude to hang up; she just didn't want to talk to Paris right now. She didn't like talking about Lorelai, just thinking about her cancer made Rory anxious.

Rory stood there and took a shaky breath. She tried to hold back her tears but couldn't. Logan stepped out of the restaurant at that moment. He saw her right away. He put a hand on her arm.

"Rory? What's wrong? What happened?" He asked frantically.

She stepped into his arms. "Um that was just Paris, my mom's fine. I just I had to tell Paris that my mom isn't doing very well… and I don't like talking about or even thinking about it but…" She stammered and stopped when Logan pulled her closer.

"Shh. It's okay." He whispered. He held her until she pulled away.

"I'm okay." She told him as she wiped at the tears on her cheeks.

"You sure?" He asked as he tried to meet her eyes.

"Yes. Thank you." She said in a low voice.

Logan leaned in and kissed her forehead. "Are you okay to go back in?" He gestured to the restaurant.

Rory nodded. They walked back in together. They hardly talked as they ate. Logan told Rory that he would drive her home after their meal. She protested, telling him that she wanted to spend the day with him. He told her that he could tell she really wanted to be with Lorelai and that he was okay with that.

They stood in front of the house.

"Ace, before you go, I just want to make sure you know that you know that nothing my father said to you matters. You're an amazing person, Rory. Don't let my father influence your actions." Logan said gently.

Rory stared at him for a few seconds. A smile slowly spread across her face. "I know you told me before. Don't worry, I won't let what he said bring me down. I'm going to talk to my mom about it. I'll be fine, I promise."

"Okay." Logan nodded. He smiled softly then leaned in to kiss her. "Bye" He said after he pulled away from the tender kiss.

He turned around and started to walk away. "Wait!" Rory called out.

Logan stopped walking. He turned to face her, worry etched on his face. Before he could ask what was wrong, Rory spoke,

"I love you." She said quietly.

Logan smiled. "I love you too."

Rory was surprised that he had said it back. She just grinned at him. He gave her a little nod and turned and walked away. Rory went inside.

* * *

Luke and Lorelai were sitting cuddled together on the couch when Rory walked in. Lorelai pulled away from Luke when Rory walked in the living room. Lorelai was wearing her pink hat.

"Hey hon." Lorelai smiled. "We weren't expecting you to come back for a while. How's Logan?"

"Um yeah, I wanted to come home earlier. Logan and I had breakfast in Hartford, he's fine… Can I talk to you alone?" Rory replied. She smiled sheepishly at Luke. She felt bad for excluding him.

Luke gave Rory a small smile back. He understood that she wanted to talk to Lorelai alone. He gently squeezed Lorelai's thigh before he got up and left the room.

Lorelai patted the spot next to her. "What do you want to talk about hon?" She asked Rory.

Rory sat next to Lorelai. She took a breath. "Um okay so I never mentioned this before since the last few weeks have been so hectic and nothing mattered except you." She stopped and looked at Lorelai with a troubled expression.

Lorelai reached out and tucked a strand of hair behind Rory's ear. "You can tell me anything, you know." She said solemnly.

"I know. Okay… so when I had my internship with Logan's dad, something happened. He told me that I didn't have 'it', that he doesn't think I have the drive… and it made me think about my dream of becoming a journalist. I told Logan what he said and he said not to listen to him, but Mitchum still got to me." Rory looked at Lorelai, waiting for her reaction.

Lorelai pressed her lips together. "Logan was right; you can't listen to one man's opinion, Rory…even if that man is your boyfriend's father, even if he is a top newspaper guy. Please tell me that you didn't change your mind about becoming a journalist."

Rory kept her eyes on Lorelai. She knew Lorelai was right; she just needed to hear the words spoken. She had decided not to leave Yale after talking with Logan, but hearing Lorelai's opinion meant the world to Rory. She wished she hadn't kept this from her for so long, but she knew it had to take a back seat for a while because Lorelai's health was more important.

"No. I didn't change my mind, you and Logan are right. I can't change my goals completely just because one person thinks I can't succeed." She smiled. "I'm going back to Yale in the fall and I'm going to try my best… for you." Rory's brow furrowed, but she gave Lorelai a small smile. Tears were welling up in her eyes.

Lorelai understood what Rory was trying to say. She stood up abruptly. "Come here, I think we both need a hug." She giggled a little.

Rory practically leaped up off the couch. They hugged each other, swaying a little bit and giggling.

"I am so proud of you kid." Lorelai told Rory.

"Thanks Mom." Rory sniffed. Then her face changed. "Oh, how did Luke take the whole hair thing?"

Lorelai's face dropped. "Well, it's a big change; it'll take a little while for him to adjust to it… um I actually had a little breakdown about it earlier." She bit her lip.

Rory frowned. "Oh Mom," She said sympathetically.

"It's okay. Everything's fine… or it's going to be fine." Lorelai tried to assure herself and Rory.

Rory nodded. "It will be."

Lorelai pulled Rory back into her arms. They sat back down and watched the movie. Luke returned a few minutes later.

* * *

A few days later, the side effects of the chemo started to hit Lorelai again. She couldn't eat much as a lot of foods tasted metallic or she lost her appetite. She became a shell of herself. She was no longer the lively, witty, and enthusiastic woman she was known as before. Luke and Rory hated to see her like this and they felt a little useless, as there wasn't much they could do to help her.

One night, Lorelai couldn't sleep. She kept tossing and turning in the bed, but no matter how she lied, she couldn't fall asleep.

Luke groaned. "Can you stop moving around?"

"No, I can't. I can't sleep and I'm just… so tired of this." Lorelai said angrily.

"I'm sorry about that, but I can't sleep either with you moving around so much."

Lorelai quickly turned on the bedside lamp. She glared at him. "Wow. I can't believe you right now. I'm the one who has to go through this Luke! I'm the one suffering!" She shouted.

"I know! But there's nothing either of us can do about it… I wish I could take your place and take away your pain, but I can't." He choked

Lorelai blinked. She started crying. "I just don't want to deal with this anymore, but I have to. I'm so lethargic and wide awake at the same time and I just want it all to stop." She sobbed.

Luke took a shaky breath. He felt terrible. "I'm sorry." He whispered. He reached out cupped her cheek. She met his gaze. "I just don't know what to do anymore." He admitted.

"Maybe I should just go downstairs and lie on the couch… you need sleep too, Luke. I can't let you lose sleep because of me." She whispered.

Luke looked down. "Yeah, I think that would be best." He whispered back. He didn't want to hurt her, but he knew that this was the best solution.

"Okay." She mumbled. She pressed a quick kiss to his cheek then turned the lamp off and got out of the bed, taking a pillow with her.

Lorelai walked downstairs slowly. When she got to the living room, she placed her pillow on the couch and lied down. She pressed her face into the pillow and sobbed.

 **Author's note: This is the longest chapter yet! I was going to finish it on Wednesday, but as I was typing it, I saw the sneak peek pictures of the revival in Entertainment Weekly online and I freaked out. Without spoiling too much, the picture of Luke and Lorelai made me cry and scream haha. Feel free to message me if you want to talk about the revival.  
Anyways, thanks for reading and feel free to leave a review, feedback is encouraged. **


	11. Decisions

Lorelai didn't get any sleep that night. She turned the TV on after a little while, but she didn't pay attention to what was on the screen. She thought about what she had gone through in the past few weeks. She felt exhausted, but also determined to get through this. She loved having the support of her love ones, but she also felt like she was a bit of a burden to them.

Luke also had trouble sleeping. He eventually fell asleep, but it took a couple of hours. He was used to having Lorelai next to him and the bed felt a little empty without her. When he opened his eyes in the morning, he automatically reached for her, forgetting for a second that she wasn't there. He sighed and looked at the clock; it was a little after nine A.M.

He moved slowly and got out of bed. He came downstairs twenty minutes later after showering, brushing his teeth and getting dressed. He tiptoed in the living room. He could see Lorelai lying on the couch but he wasn't sure if she was asleep or not. He didn't want to disturb her, so he left the house as quietly and as quickly as he could.

Lorelai heard Luke walking. She didn't say anything because she wasn't sure what to say. She bit her lip and held back a sigh. She waited until she heard the front door close to release her sigh. She continued to lie there; she had no energy or motivation to get up. The phone rang at that moment. Lorelai groaned. She knew Rory was probably still sleeping. She sat up slowly and got up and walked over to the phone, picked it up on the last ring before the answering machine would pick up.

"Hello?"

"Hey Lor."

"Oh Chris, how are you?" Lorelai asked a little reluctantly.

"Shouldn't I be asking you that?"

"Hmm… well I'm hanging on, doing the best I can. I don't know what else I can tell you"

"Okay, well I'm calling to tell you some good news… I don't know if you want to hear though since-"

Lorelai cut him off. "Just tell me." She said flatly.

"Oh, okay… um, well my grandfather died."

"Your grandfather died and that's good news?!" Lorelai almost shouted.

"No, no that's not the fun part. He lived a long life and he liked me, believe it or not… long story short, I'm rich." Christopher answered.

"You're rich? That's what you called to tell me?" Lorelai was furious.

"Well, yeah, I thought I'd offer to pay… for your treatment." Christopher said slowly.

"My parents are paying for my treatment. I thought I told you that." Lorelai replied.

"No, you didn't tell me."

"Oh well sorry. I don't need your money Chris so can we end this conversation now?"

"Wait! I want to take care of Rory too. I was thinking maybe I could pay for Yale." Christopher suggested.

Lorelai sighed. "Well that's Rory's decision, not mine. You can call her."

"All right, she still has the same cell number, right?"

"Yes." Lorelai answered simply.

"Okay… and Lorelai?"

"Yes?"

"Take care, okay?"

"Okay. Bye Christopher. "Lorelai hung up.

She walked into the kitchen and started to make herself a cup of coffee. Rory came out of her room a minute later.

"Morning," Rory greeted Lorelai.

"Morning hon." Lorelai tried not to sound upset.

"Who was on the phone?" Rory asked.

"Oh it was your dad." Lorelai mumbled as she carried her coffee mug to the table and sat down.

"Oh, what did he want?" Rory walked over to the coffee make and saw that there was enough for her to make a cup.

"Well, his grandfather died and I guess he inherited a lot of money from him… he offered to pay for my treatment."

"Oh… and you told him that Grandma and Grandpa are paying?" Rory sat next to Lorelai at the table, placed her coffee in front of her.

"Yep, and he also offered to pay for Yale." Lorelai said unenthusiastically.

Rory frowned. "Really?"

"Uh-huh. I told him that that was your decision." Lorelai looked at Rory.

Rory laughed half-heartedly. "What does he think paying for Yale will make up for missing out on important parts of my life?"

"Rory," Lorelai said gently. For as long as she could remember, Rory had always have given Christopher second chances.

Rory shook her head. "I'll go visit him. I want to talk about this with him." It was a Saturday, so Christopher would probably be at home.

Lorelai gave Rory a small smile. "Okay, if that's what you to do."

Rory nodded. She glanced at Lorelai and noticed that she was rubbing her temple and that she hadn't taken a sip of her coffee.

"Mom? Are you all right?"

Lorelai took a deep breath. "No. I'm not." She admitted. "I didn't sleep last night and Luke and I had a little fight. I ended up coming down here because I couldn't sleep and he couldn't sleep… and the whole thing is just a mess. Everything is falling apart… my coffee doesn't even taste right!" Her voice broke.

"Oh, Mom," Rory whispered. She reached out and placed her hand on top of Lorelai's, gave it a little squeeze.

Lorelai sniffed. "I'm just so tired of everything, but I have to keep pushing through and it's just…so hard."

Rory started crying too. She pulled away from Lorelai and stood up. She gestured for Lorelai to stand too.

Lorelai stood up and went into Rory's embrace. Rory knew that a hug couldn't fix things, it couldn't make everything okay. She just wanted to try to comfort her mother.

They hugged for a long time, neither of them wanted to let go.

"Are we trying to break the Guinness World Record for the longest hug?" Lorelai asked with a small laugh.

Rory smiled. "Maybe," She teased.

Lorelai pulled away a few seconds later. She held onto Rory's shoulders and looked into her eyes. "Go ahead, go see your dad."

Rory frowned. "Are you sure? I want to talk to him but I also want to stay here with you."

Lorelai nodded and gave Rory a weak smile. "I'm sure. I'll be fine, I promise. I'm going to try to sleep, and if I can't, I'm going to go to the Inn and see everyone… maybe see if there's any work that I can do." She said slowly.

Rory gave Lorelai a small smile of her own. "Okay, if you're sure. I also have to see Paris and the apartment landlord, pay my half of first month's rent for the fall." She had called Paris back last night.

Rory walked over to the counter and picked up a muffin. "I'm glad Luke always makes sure we have food in the house." She said softly.

Lorelai smiled. "Yep, he takes care of us."

Rory went into her room to grab her purse. "Okay, I'll be home as soon as I can."

Lorelai gave her a little nod. "Drive safe sweets." She leaned in and kissed Rory's cheek. Rory kissed Lorelai's cheek.

Rory quickly put on her shoes (she was already dressed) and was out the door with a quick, "Bye"

* * *

Christopher was relaxing reading the newspaper while Gigi watched TV when he heard knocking at the door. He got up and opened the door.

"Rory! This is a nice surprise. I was going to call you once I put Gigi down for her nap."

"Hi Dad… we need to talk." Rory said as Christopher pulled her into a hug. She didn't hug him back.

Christopher frowned. "Oh, okay. I'll just go put Gigi down; it's almost her nap time anyway."

Rory just nodded and took a seat on the couch. When Christopher picked Gigi up, she screamed. He tried to soothe her, but she didn't stop crying. He carried her to her bedroom.

Rory sat on the couch for fifteen minutes, waiting for Christopher to return.

"Sorry about that, I had to calm her down a little." Christopher took a seat on the other end of the couch. "What did you want to talk about?"

Rory let out an exasperated sigh. "Mom told me you called this morning… you offered to pay for her treatment?"

Christopher nodded. "Yeah, I didn't know that your grandparents are paying. I also offered to pay for Yale; did your mom mention that?"

"Yes…. Did you think that offering to pay for Yale would somehow make up for all the years you weren't there for me?" Rory scolded. She crossed her arms.

"What? Rory, no. I just wanted to help you out. I thought you might not want to owe your grandparents." Christopher said slowly.

Rory thought for a few seconds before she answered. "I… well I guess it would be nice not to owe them, but this isn't the way I want to pay them back. I want to earn my own money. I don't want your handouts… sorry. The way I see it, you're just trying to make it up to me…" She trailed off, not knowing how to word what she wanted to say.

"Make what up to you? I thought we were okay… okay maybe I didn't because you never called me after I told your mother to tell you that you could talk to me if you needed to. I know you're upset Rory, but you could have called me, I would have listened." Christopher stated.

Rory shook her head. "I don't know where we stand Dad. Sometimes we're okay and other times we're not. When I think about our relationship, I realize that you missed out on a lot of important moments of my life. You never even visited Stars Hollow until I was sixteen, you never visited me on my birthday, you didn't attend my high school graduation, and you didn't help me move into Yale."  
She took a deep breath.

"You weren't there a lot of the time and that hurts, Dad. We've kept in touch over the phone and we've seen each other, but I feel like our relationship isn't exactly healthy." She stopped and glared at Christopher. She finally got it all out, and it felt good.

Christopher blinked. He put a hand to his face and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I… don't know what to say."

Rory stared at him in bewilderment.

"I'm sorry, Rory, I truly am. I know I haven't been the best father to you and there's really no excuse for that. I feel terrible." He looked down.

Rory's heart sank. She was still angry, but she felt a bit empathetic. She wanted to tell him that she thought Luke had been a better father figure than he was, but she decided not to.

Christopher lifted his head and looked at Rory with a brooding expression.

Rory pressed her lips together and avoided eye contact. "I just needed to get that out… I do love you it's just… I've kept that inside of me for years."

"I love you too." Christopher said softly.

"And now with all that's going on… I realized that I needed to tell you how I felt." Rory continued. "If I need you, I'll call you. I don't want you to pay for Yale, I hope that's okay."

Christopher nodded. His gaze met Rory's. "It's all right. I understand, really. I appreciate you coming here and telling me all this… it was a wakeup call." He admitted.

Rory gave him a small smile. She could see that he understood. She walked over to him and wrapped her arms around him. They hugged for a minute.

When Rory pulled away, she whispered: "Thank you." She was thanking him for letting her vent.

Christopher smiled and nodded. "Thank you for telling me what I needed to hear. And… I know that it works both ways, I'll call you more often."

"Okay." Rory whispered. She turned around and walked out the door.

* * *

Lorelai did end up going to the Inn. She was greeted with a hug from Sookie. Michel gave her a hug too. She was surprised but happy to see Michel be affectionate. She managed to get a little work done, but she spent most of her time there catching up with everyone.

Sookie drove her home. When Lorelai stepped on the porch, she decided to call Luke. Rory had already called to tell her a little bit about her talk with Christopher and to say that she would be spending some time with Paris in New Haven. Lorelai stepped inside and dialed Luke's number on her cell phone. It took a few rings for Luke to answer.

"Hey." He said gently.

"Hey." She couldn't help the smile that spread across her face. "I haven't seen you all day, how are you?"

"I'm fine. You?"

"I'm all right…" She paused. "I'm sorry… about last night."

"No. Lorelai its fine, I'm sorry too."

"Okay." She said softly.

"So um I should be home later tonight, okay?" He said.

"Yeah. I'll see you then."

"Okay."

"Luke?"

"Yeah?"

"Love you." She felt herself getting choked up.

"Love you too." Luke said gently.

"Bye." She whispered.

"Bye."

Luke hung up the phone.

"Was that Lorelai, sugar?" Babette asked. She was sitting at the counter next to Miss Patty.

"Yeah." Luke answered simply.

"How's she doing?" Miss Patty asked.

Luke sighed softly. "I really don't know… she seems okay but I think she just might be trying to stay strong for everyone." He frowned.

"Oh. Well I know you'll stay by her side no matter what. Tell her that we're here for her too if she needs to talk." Babette said.

"'Yeah, will do." Luke said quietly. He was lost in his thoughts.

* * *

Rory opened up to Paris. She told her about Lorelai's cancer. Paris was very supportive and thoughtful. Rory was a little surprised but thankful. They had lunch together. When Rory returned home that night, she and Lorelai had a long talk about everything. Then, they curled up on the couch and watched a movie. Rory noticed that Lorelai was starting to fall asleep.

"Mom, you should go to bed." She said gently.

Lorelai sat up and shook her head. "No, Luke should be getting home soon and I want to see him."

Rory shrugged, "Okay."

The phone rang a couple minutes later.

"I'll get it." Rory stopped the movie and got up and walked over to the phone.

A minute later, she called to Lorelai, "Its Luke."

Lorelai slowly got up and walked over to the phone. Rory handed the phone to her and left the room to give her privacy.

"Hi."

"Hey… listen I can't come home tonight." Luke told her.

"Why not?" Lorelai asked immediately.

Luke sighed. "Well, Caesar's mother broke her ankle and he's going to spend a few days with her, helping her around the house and such. He's going to need time off, so I'm gonna have to run the diner by myself. The delivery guy is coming tomorrow, so I'm going to stay in the apartment tonight, I'm sorry."

"Oh…" Lorelai felt disappointed. "That's okay hon."

"I'm so sorry I can't be there." Luke said his voice a little hoarse.

"It's okay, really." Lorelai said calmly.

"Okay. I'll see you tomorrow for sure. I'll close early."

Lorelai nodded even though he couldn't see her. "Okay." She whispered.

"Bye." Luke said gently.

"Bye."

Lorelai stood there for a minute. She wanted to see Luke, but at the same time she was thinking it might be good for them to spend some time apart. He had been the perfect boyfriend these past few weeks and she thought it might be good for him to take a break away from her.

Rory came out of room. "Mom? Are you okay?" She walked over to Lorelai and placed a hand on her shoulder.

Lorelai turned to face Rory. Rory took one look at Lorelai's face and knew how she was feeling. "Luke isn't coming home, is he?" She asked gently.

Lorelai shook her head.

"And you really wanted him to… I'm sorry."

"He needs to stay at the diner; Caesar has to stay with his mother. It might be better this way anyway." Lorelai told her.

"Better? How?" Rory was a little confused.

"Because… he's been amazing these past few weeks, taking care of me and everything. I think he deserves a break." Lorelai explained.

"Oh." Rory whispered. She understood. She put a smile on her face. "How about we finish the movie?"

Lorelai smiled softly and nodded.

They walked back over to the couch. Rory pressed 'play' on the remote and the movie started from where they left off. After a few minutes of watching in silence, Lorelai moved over and rested her head on Rory's shoulder.

Rory felt tears welling up in her eyes. She wrapped an arm around Lorelai. She knew Lorelai needed her to be strong right now. They would get through everything together.

* * *

 **Author's Note: Thank you for reading. I'm sorry if the whole Christopher part of this chapter seemed random. I used the season 6 plot line of him receiving his grandfather's money. With the Christopher/Rory confrontation, I always hated how passive Rory was him on the show. I know she accepted the money for Yale on the show because she wanted to get out from Richard and Emily's thumb…  
I just wanted to show that I think Christopher is a bad dad and I wanted Rory to see that, I wanted her to call him out for his actions. And since he is her father, I didn't want their relationship to be completely ruined, hence the hug. This might be an unnecessary explanation, but I kind of felt like it was needed. Please feel free to let me know what you think of this chapter.**


	12. Struggles Part 2

After the movie ended, Rory left Lorelai to sleep on the couch. She didn't want to wake her because she knew she needed the sleep. She went to her bedroom to call Logan. It was only a little after ten PM, so he should still be awake. He picked up on the second ring.

"Hey." He said gently.

"Hi." Rory smiled.

"How's it going? How's your mom?" He asked.

"We're hanging in there." She said quietly.

"Is there anything I can do to help? I mean I'm no doctor or anything but-"

Rory interrupted him. "Just talking to you is helping me. I'd like to see you again though…"

"I don't think my dad will let me get away anytime soon, sorry Ace. But I can talk to you every night." He sounded sympathetic.

"Oh um that's okay." Rory tried not to sound upset. She reminded herself of the fact that she had many people to talk to. "So how's that going, work with your dad?"

Logan sighed. "It's a pain in my ass, but it has to be done. At least I get to hang out with Colin and Finn on weekends."

Rory frowned. "You see Colin and Finn on the weekends?"

"Yeah, I just saw them last weekend and I'm hoping to see them tomorrow. I get some time off on weekends." Logan said nonchalantly.

"Wait, you're telling me that you spend your free time with Colin and Finn instead of me? I need you Logan." Her voice broke.

"Woah woah, I like to have fun with Finn and Collin sometimes… that doesn't mean that I can't be there for you too."

"Yeah but you chose to spend time with them instead of me. You'd rather have fun with them instead of comfort me, that's it, isn't it?" Rory accused.

"What? No Ace." He grunted. "I just… I don't know sometimes I just want to relax and forget about my responsibilities. That doesn't mean that I don't want to be with you."

"Hmph. We all have to do things we don't want to do. Not everything in life is fun." Rory barked.

"I know that." Logan sighed. "It's hard for me to see you upset, ok?" His voice was low.

"We all have to go through hard things… I have to watch my mother fight cancer every day, Logan!" Rory wiped at the tears that had started falling down her face. "You've allowed me to vent and talk to you before, why can't you do it again? I need you but you'd rather get drunk with your friends."

"No, Ace come on."

"Forget it Logan, I'm done talking to you. I'll call you when I need you, if you even want to come that is."

Logan started to object, but Rory ended the call. She lied down on her bed, pressed her face into her pillow. She told herself not to cry, but tears escaped her eyes. She managed to hold back a sob. _Don't cry over Logan, he's not worth it._ She told herself.

Once she had stopped crying, she cleared her mind and got up to get ready for bed. Ten minutes later, she lied in bed and tried to fall asleep. Her thoughts changed from Logan to Lorelai. _Everything is going to be okay_ she told herself so that she wouldn't start crying again. She fell asleep fast.

* * *

Lorelai woke with a jolt. She squinted at her surroundings, confused for a few seconds. Then she realized that she must have fallen asleep on the couch. She yawns then slowly gets up. In the kitchen, she grabs a muffin and debates whether or not to make coffee. She decides to make it, praying that it will taste better than it has in the past few days. She sat down and took a bite of the muffin before sipping the coffee.

Once she had swallowed the coffee, she grimaced. The taste didn't improve much. She still gulped it down with the muffin though. As she glanced at Rory's door, she wondered what they were going to do today. _Maybe we could go shopping._ She thought.

They did end up going shopping about an hour later after Rory woke up. Rory told Lorelai a little bit about what happened with Logan, but she told her that she didn't really want to talk about it and Lorelai accepted that. They went to a few stores in town. Lorelai bought a couple pretty headscarves and a baseball cap. She joked that her and Luke could be a cute matching couple now. When they returned home, they saw Babette and sitting on her porch. Babette walked up to them immediately.

"Lorelai, doll I haven't seen you in forever. How have you been?" Babette looked deeply concerned.

"Oh, I'm all right Babette. Hanging in there, you know." Lorelai shrugged and gave Babette a small smile.

"Oh. Well you let me know if you need anything. I'd drop anything to help you out."

Lorelai felt herself tearing up. "Thank you Babette, that means a lot, really."

Babette's face changed, she looked alarmed. "Oh! Before I forget, Luke's waiting for you inside. He came looking for you when he saw no one was on the house. I told him that you and Rory probably just went into town for a bit, that he should wait here… he looked worried."

"Well we'd better get inside then, thanks again Babette." Lorelai said.

"Anytime, sugar." Babette reached out and gave Lorelai a hug which was a bit awkward because of their height difference.

When Lorelai and Rory stepped in the house they immediately heard footsteps. Luke appeared. He looked relieved.

"There you two are." He exclaimed.

"Hi hon. We were just out shopping." Lorelai told him.

Luke nodded. "I came here looking for you but you weren't here… I was worried something had happened. But I asked Babette where you were and she figured you just went into town so I decided to wait here."

"Sorry. I should have told you were we were going." Lorelai looked away.

"I'm going to go to my room." Rory said quickly before she walked away.

"Let's talk." Lorelai gestures to the living room. Luke just nods and they walk over and sit on the couch.

Before Lorelai can speak Luke leans in and gives her a quick kiss. Lorelai smiles softly.

"I missed you last night."

"Me too." He replied.

"How's the diner?" She asked.

"It's fine. I actually closed up; there were practically no customers all morning. It's lunch hour, but people can go somewhere else, it's not like the diner is the only place that sells food."

"Oh." Lorelai replied simply. She was a little surprised that the diner wasn't busy.

"Actually, I was thinking of closing the diner… until you're finished treatment." Luke told her.

"What? No Luke you can't just drop your life to take of me." Lorelai objected.

"I think that's my decision." Luke said angrily.

Lorelai shook her head. "Luke, you've been amazing these past few weeks… but I feel like I'm bringing you down… I don't know." She looked away.

Luke reached out and took her hand. She looked back at him. "Hey." He said gently. "I want to stay by your side; I'm not staying with you because I feel like I have to… Lorelai, I want to be here."

Lorelai pulled her hand away. "But I feel like I'm a burden. I just don't want to hurt you… I can tell I'm stressing you out and that's not okay." She sighed.

"Lorelai, you are not a burden. I want to help you; I want us to get through this together. Please, you can't push me away like this. It isn't fair."

Lorelai couldn't look him in the eye. She started crying. "I don't know it's just that our time apart has made me realize that you're suffering because of me. We can't even sleep in the same bed anymore. Maybe it would be better if we spent time apart while I complete my treatment." She regretted saying that immediately.

"Are you breaking up with me?" The look on Luke's face reminded Lorelai of when she called him her 'ex-boyfriend.' It hurt her a lot.

"No. I just think it might be easier for us to take a break for a little while." She said quietly.

Luke glared at her. "That's not what I want." His expression softened. "I want to be here with you, I don't care about the diner. You're all that matters."

"I just want to be alone right now to think. Please, can you just leave me alone for a while?" She asked gently. She just needed time to try being away from him, even though it hurt her.

"Okay." Luke whispered. With one last look at her, he got up and left.

Rory heard the front door shut. She walked out into the living room and saw Lorelai sitting very still on the couch, staring off into space.

"Mom?"

Lorelai turned slowly. "I pushed him away and I don't know if I did the right thing. But I could tell he was hurt and I never meant to hurt him and I just hate all of this." She sputtered, sobbing.

"Hey, hey. It's okay." Rory tried to soothe her. "It's Luke, he'll come back. You two can't stay away from each."

"Maybe not this time," Lorelai fretted.

"I think he will." Rory tried to assure her.

Lorelai didn't respond. Rory sat down next to her and wrapped an arm around her. Lorelai leaned her head on her shoulder. They sat in silence for a little while.

Some time later, the phone rang.

"I'll get it." Lorelai said, her voice lacking of emotion. She was silently hoping that it would be Luke.

"Hello?"

"Lorelai, hello," Emily answered.

"Oh Mom. What's up?"

"I was just calling to check up on you and ask if you and to ask if you and Rory are able to have dinner with us tomorrow."

"Tomorrow's Monday." Lorelai pointed out.

"I know that Lorelai, but you told me that your next treatment is on next Friday, that's correct isn't it?"

"Oh, yeah, you're right." Lorelai replied.

"So are you and Rory able to come to dinner tomorrow? I understand if you can't." Emily said.

"No, no we should be able to come. I'm feeling okay…"

"Are you sure?" Emily sounded concerned.

"Yes, Mom, I'm sure." Lorelai was touched.

"All right we'll see you tomorrow then. Oh, and will Luke be joining us?"

"Is he invited?"

"Yes." Emily said simply.

Lorelai was a bit taken aback. "Oh, well I don't know. He might be busy." She mumbled.

"Well, it's all right if he can't come. I can tell the maid to set an extra place at the table just in case."

"All right, thanks Mom." Lorelai didn't want to talk about her Luke problems with Emily.

"You're welcome." Emily replied.

"See you tomorrow, bye."

"Goodbye Lorelai."

Lorelai hung up.

"That was Grandma?" Rory called from the couch.

Lorelai walked over to her and sat back down. "Yep. We're going to have dinner over there tomorrow. That's okay, right?"

"Of course,"

They were silent for a few seconds.

"Luke will come back." Rory said softly.

Lorelai exhaled. "I don't want to talk about it." She said bitterly.

"What do want to talk about?" Rory asked.

"I don't know." Lorelai admitted.

"Well how about we go for a walk?" Rory suggested.

"All right," Lorelai managed to smile. "We should eat lunch first though."

* * *

They ate leftovers for lunch then left for their walk. Lorelai wore her new baseball cap. She was still feeling a little self-conscious. They walked in the opposite direction of Luke's. They ended up picking up a pizza for dinner. Rory didn't want to admit that she had gotten used to eating the dinners that Luke cooked for them on most nights, that she missed him. She didn't want to upset Lorelai.

Later that night, Lorelai was a little restless. Rory came up with the idea to play Monopoly.

"Monopoly?" Lorelai was a bit appalled by the idea.

"Yeah. We can't just sit around and watch TV all night, why not play Monopoly? We can stop if we get frustrated." Rory responded.

Lorelai just shrugged and told Rory to set up the game. A half an hour into playing and a few shared giggles later, they heard the front door open.

"Didn't we lock the door?" Rory whispered.

"I thought we did." Lorelai whispered back. They heard footsteps. They were in the kitchen, the game board spread across the table.

"Stay here." Lorelai told Rory as she got up.

"I've got a baseball bat and I'm not afraid to use it!" Lorelai shouted as she walked towards the front door. She didn't actually have a bat; she was just trying to scare the intruder.

She gasped when she saw Luke standing in the entryway. Without saying a word, he walked up to her and embraced her.

"Luke? Is something wrong?" Lorelai asked, the sound of her voice a bit muffled as her face was pressed into his chest. She clung to him, savouring the familiar warm feeling of being in his arms.

"I'm staying with you. I will be here. I don't care… you need me and I can't just think about you going through this alone. I can't leave you." He said softly.

"I'm sorry. I didn't want to push you away. Everything is just so confusing and-"

"Shh." He soothed her. "It's okay, I understand." Luke held her tighter.

"Mom? Is everything okay?" Rory walked in and saw Luke and Lorelai hugging.

Luke met her gaze and Rory smiled. Luke smiled back. Rory left, she knew they would need some privacy.

Lorelai pulled away after a minute. "Luke." She whispered. She looked up at him. "Are you going to stay?"

"Of course," He answered. He kissed the top of her head.

Lorelai gave him a small tearful smile then wrapped her arms around his waist. Luke pulled her close again.

"Let's go sit down and talk." She whispered in his ear.

He pulled back and nodded, but then his face changed. He leaned in and kissed her.

Lorelai kissed him back, deepened the kiss. Luke's hand rubbed circles on her back and Lorelai's hand knocked off his hat and she ran her fingers through his hair.

When they finally pulled apart, Lorelai took a step back. "Wow, that was some kiss,"

Luke just smiled.

"I'm just going to go talk to Rory for a minute." She told him.

"Okay." Luke walked over to the couch and sat down.

Lorelai returned a few minutes later. She sat next to Luke.

"So…" She said awkwardly.

"I never should have left." Luke said quickly.

Lorelai shook her head. "I never should have told you to leave. But I did need some time to think."

"I hate that you feel like you're a burden." Luke disclosed.

"Well, I hate to see you suffer. I know this is really affecting you, Luke. I hate that I'm causing you pain." Lorelai looked down.

Luke reached out and gently cupped her chin. "You're the one suffering. It hurts me to see you like this. I hate it, but I can't just leave you while you got through this. We're in this together."

Lorelai smiled. "I guess I'm stuck with you then." She teased.

Luke smiled back, "It's not so bad is it?"

Lorelai shook her head. She leaned in and gave him a soft kiss.

"I'm sorry." She said again.

"It's okay. I forgive you." He told her. He took her hand. "And I'm sorry too."

"I forgive you too." She whispered. She dropped his hand and got up.

"Where are you going?" He asked, worried.

"Just to the bathroom, don't worry hon."

He nodded. As he waited for her to return, he put his feet up. He felt exhausted.

When Lorelai returned, she saw Luke lying down. He started to sit up, but she stopped him with a hand motion.

He frowned, confused. She moved and squeezed next to him, then shifted so that most of her body was on top of his.

"Lorelai," He muttered. He didn't think they could fit on the couch.

"I know, it's hard for two tall people to lie on a small couch, but I think we can make it work." She moved again. "There, better right?"

Luke didn't say anything. It was more comfortable. They lied in silence for a few seconds before he pointed out: "You do know there's a bed upstairs, right? It's much more comfortable."

"Hmm. I don't want to move. I want to stay right here." She pressed her face into his neck.

Luke didn't want to argue with her. He pressed a quick kiss to her temple and wrapped his arm around her.

Lorelai pressed a kiss to his neck then lifted her head. "What if I die?" She asked.

He started at her. _How could she ask me that? Answer her, don't stay silent!_ He told himself.

"You're not going to die."

"You don't know that." She said as soon as he said the last word.

"Lorelai, you can't think like that. You need to stay strong… I know that's hard, but I'm here. You can talk to me." He started to rub her back.

Lorelai almost jumped at his touch. He could always comfort her with little touches. "I know… I just get scared sometimes."

"That's okay." Luke replied.

They lied there in comfortable silence for a long time. Lorelai fell asleep and Luke didn't want to wake her up to move so he closed his eyes and eventually fell asleep too.

* * *

 **Author's note: I glad to see that people share the same opinion about Christopher with me haha. Thank you for reading, reviewing, favouriting and following this story. Reviews are appreciated.**


	13. Stand By Me

When Luke woke up the next morning, Lorelai was still asleep next to him. He moved slowly and managed to get up without waking her. He went into the kitchen and started to make his breakfast. As he waited for the kettle to boil, he thought about his decision to temporarily close the diner until Lorelai completed her treatment. He didn't tell her that he had actually gone through with it.

He had called Mia last night to talk to her about it. Mia had scolded him when he told her that he and Lorelai had argued and that he left. She told him to stay by her no matter what, even though he had already decided he would never leave her before he talked to Mia. They talked about his stress from the situation and his fears. He brought up closing the diner and asked Mia what she thought about it. Mia told him it was his choice, but she said that she could tell he really wanted to focus on Lorelai, that he would be distracted working at the diner.

Luke knew she was right. He thanked her and promised to call her once a week. He didn't want Lorelai to get upset when they had just made up, so he didn't tell her about closing the diner last night. As soon as he sat down and started eating, Lorelai walked into the kitchen.

"Morning hon." She greeted him.

"Morning, I didn't think you'd be up this early."

Lorelai shook her head. "Well, I woke up and you weren't there… and I felt weird without you next to me." She smiled softly.

Luke smiled back. He knew they couldn't always sleep so peacefully next to each other, but last night was fine.

Lorelai sat next to Luke. "Are you going to make me pancakes?" She asked in a flirty tone.

"Sure." Luke replied. He finished his oatmeal and his tea and got up.

Lorelai reached out to him. He let her grab his hand. He looked down at her, waiting for her to say something.

"Thank you." She whispered, smiling up at him.

He leaned down and pressed a quick kiss to the top of her head. As he made her pancakes, Lorelai remembered Emily's phone call last night.

"Oh, my parents invited us to dinner tonight." She told Luke.

"You mean you and Rory?" Luke asked.

"No, all three of us, you're invited too. Believe it or not,"

"Hmm, okay." Luke responded.

"You'll come, right?" Lorelai asked a little hesitantly.

"Of course," Luke assured her.

"Good." Lorelai smiled.

Rory came out of her bedroom at that moment. She was already dressed because she would be embarrassed if Luke saw her in her pajamas.

"Oh pancakes! Are you making some for me too Luke?" She teased.

"You bet." Luke answered, giving Rory a small smile.

"Aww, you didn't have to." Rory said quietly.

"I want to." Luke said gently. He wanted to take care of both of them.

Rory didn't say anything; she just smiled and sat at the table.

"Did Logan call last night?" Lorelai asked gently.

Rory just shook her head and looked down. The truth was he did call, but she ignored his call.

Lorelai reached out and placed her hand on top Rory's and gave it a squeeze.

Once Luke had finished cooking, they all sat down at the table. Luke enjoyed another cup of tea as Lorelai and Rory ate their pancakes and drank coffee.

"Lane is supposed to be coming back from her tour today, so I'm gonna head into town." Rory announced after they had finished eating.

"Oh, okay hon. Say hi to everyone for me." Lorelai said.

"I will." Rory stood up then leaned in and kissed Lorelai's cheek. "Love you."

"Love you too." Lorelai responded.

Rory got her purse and left.

"We need to talk about something." Luke said seriously.

"What is it?" Lorelai asked.

"Remember how I said I wanted to close the diner until you finish treatment?"

Lorelai nodded.

"Okay… so I've decided to do it." Luke glanced at her. He bit his lip as he waited for her reply.

"Oh… are you sure?"

"Yeah. Are you okay with that?"

Lorelai thought about it for a few seconds. "Well, I can't decide for you… I mean I can't stop you." She muttered.

"But you understand why I want to do it?"

"Yes." Lorelai answered simply.

Luke nodded. "I talked to Mia about it last night and she thought I would just be distracted at the diner… she's right, I'd be thinking about you all the time and I wouldn't be able to focus." He said in a low voice.

"That's… sweet." Lorelai smiled and reached out and took Luke's hand. "I'm fine with it, really. I'd probably want to take a leave from my job if you were the one that was sick."

Luke gave her a small smile and brushed the back of her hand with his thumb. He was glad that they didn't argue about his decision. They would get through this together, he knew they would.

* * *

Later that night, Lorelai, Rory and Luke arrived at the Gilmore house. Rory knocked. The maid opened the door and escorted them to the living room. Emily and Richard were not there. Luke and Lorelai took seats on the couch and Rory took a chair.

"I told you to let me know when they arrive." They heard Emily speaking to the maid, sounding angry.

The maid apologized. Emily entered the living room.

"Hello Lorelai, Rory, Luke. How are you all?" She asked.

Lorelai was a bit surprised that Emily was being so pleasant. "We're all fine, Mom thanks." She answered at the same time Luke said:

"We're all right, thanks, and you?"

"I'm fine, thank you Luke." Emily sat down across from Lorelai and Luke. She looked at Lorelai. "Your father should be joining us soon; he's just finishing up a phone call."

"Okay." Lorelai nodded.

"Would anyone like a drink?" Emily asked.

"I'll have a soda, thanks." Rory responded.

"I'm fine, thanks." Luke answered.

"Water would be nice." Lorelai replied.

Emily got up and poured water for Lorelai and a soda for Rory. She didn't get a drink for herself. She passed the drinks to Lorelai and Rory, who thanked her.

"Aren't you going to say anything about my hair or lack of it?" Lorelai asked in a low voice. She was wearing one of her headscarves.

"Well… last time I saw you, you still had hair." Emily muttered.

"Yeah, sorry about that, uh it started falling out so I just decided to shave it off. Rory helped me actually." Lorelai looked over at Rory.

Rory just nodded and smiled sheepishly at Emily.

"I understand hair loss with treatment isn't something you can control. It's alright, Lorelai. You look fine… just a little tired. Are you getting enough sleep?" Emily replied.

"No. It's hard for me to sleep some nights. I'm exhausted and lethargic at the same time. But I'm pushing through." Lorelai told her.

Emily looked upset, but she just said: "All right. And everything is going okay at your treatments?"

"Yes Mom." Lorelai replied simply.

Richard entered the room then. "Hello everyone, how are you?" He asked as he walked over to the drink cart to pour himself a drink.

"Fine," Lorelai, Rory and Luke answered simultaneously.

Richard sat next to Emily. "Lorelai, I have something to ask you." He said in a serious tone.

"Yes Dad?" Lorelai asked a bit hesitantly.

"Your mother has told me that your next treatment is this coming Friday, correct?"

"Yes."

Richard met her gaze. "Would it be all right if I come to your next treatment?"

"Of course, Dad," Lorelai said gently.

Richard smiled softly. They chatted until dinner was ready.

At dinner, Lorelai noticed that Emily was a little off.

"Are you okay, Mom?" She asked.

"I'm fine, Lorelai." Emily replied. Her voice was quieter than usual.

Rory exchanged a look with Lorelai. They were both worried about Emily.

After everyone finished eating, Emily excused herself and left the room.

Lorelai also excused herself and went to go look for Emily. She headed upstairs and saw that the door to Emily and Richard's bedroom was closed. She knocked.

"Mom? Are you in there?"

"Yes." She barely heard Emily whisper.

"Can I come in?" Lorelai asked.

"I suppose." Emily muttered.

Lorelai opened the door. She walked in and saw Emily sitting on the bed.

Emily looked up and Lorelai noticed her tear-streaked face.

"Mom? Are you okay?" She knew it was a stupid question as Emily obviously was not okay.

Emily shook her head. Lorelai sat next to her. "What's wrong?"

"It was a shock… seeing you without hair." Emily admitted.

"Oh." Lorelai whispered.

"And I hate that I wasn't there with you. I wanted to be…" Emily trailed off, wiped at her tears.

"I'm sorry Mom." Lorelai said gently. "It was a spur of the moment type thing. Rory was the only one there with me… Luke wasn't even home."

"I hate seeing you suffer, Lorelai. You may not think so, but I do." Emily confided.

"Mom I don't think that…" Lorelai took a deep breath. "I appreciate that you're supporting me as I go through this. You and Dad have both been great."

"But I want to be there for you more often! I want to be there every step of the way." Emily raised her voice.

"I'm not stopping you from doing that. All you have to do is ask and I'll let you in." Lorelai kept her voice low.

"But I feel like you'll shut me out if I try to be involved." Emily fretted.

"I'm sorry you feel that way Mom, but I won't shut you out. I need my family now more than ever." Lorelai said softly.

Emily looked at Lorelai and nodded slowly. "It's just that I wish I could do something to help." She said quietly.

"Mom, you're helping by being here." Lorelai told her. She stood up.

"You want to go back downstairs and have some dessert?"

Emily stared at Lorelai then slowly stood up. Lorelai surprised herself and Emily when she reached out and wrapped her arms around Emily.

It was a very brief hug, but it meant a lot to both women. They walked back downstairs together, Lorelai with her arm around Emily.

* * *

When they arrived home and pulled into the driveway, Luke was the first one to notice Logan sitting on the porch.

"Rory," He said gently to get her attention.

Rory was talking to Lorelai; she finished her sentence then looked up. "Yes?"

Luke cleared his throat then pointed at Logan, who didn't seem to notice that the Jeep had pulled up.

"Oh," Rory whispered.

Luke pulled the key out of the ignition and turned around to face Rory. He wasn't sure what she wanted to do.

"I'll talk to him. You guys can go inside without me. Just tell him I'll be a minute." Rory said.

Luke nodded. He got out of the Jeep and walked around to the passenger side to help Lorelai out. He opened the door and she took his hand. He didn't let go of her hand as they walked towards the porch. Logan noticed them and before he could ask where Rory was, Lorelai told him:

"Rory will be out a minute."

Logan nodded. "How are you Lorelai… and Luke was it?"

Luke raised his eyebrows. Lorelai let go of his hand. "We're fine, thanks for asking…." She looked him in the eye. "If you hurt Rory or you'll be dealing with both of us."

Logan just swallowed and nodded.

Lorelai grabbed Luke's hand and he lead her inside.

"Sit down; I'll make you a cup of coffee if you want." Luke said once they'd shut the door behind them.

"Sure." Lorelai replied.

Luke came into the living room a few minutes later and handed Lorelai her coffee. He sat down next to her.

Lorelai took a sip of her coffee and grimaced.

"Not good?" Luke asked.

"Still doesn't taste right." She muttered.

Luke reached out and patted her knee.

"You think Rory will be okay out there?" He tilted his head towards the door.

"Yeah, she can handle herself."

"But do we trust Logan?" Luke wondered.

"She loves him…I don't know." Lorelai sighed. "I just want this to work out. I want her to be happy."

Luke nodded. He was still a little worried about Rory. Lorelai moved closer to him, snuggled into his chest.

He kissed the top of her head. "Is your mom okay?"

"Yeah, she was feeling a little left out and she was worried about me. We sorted it out though." She answered.

"Good." Luke said simply.

"We're all worried about me, I'm worried about me. But we're getting through it. Everyone's support and love is really helping me deal with it." Lorelai's voice broke.

Luke rubbed her back. "You have a good support system." He agreed.

Lorelai lifted her head and pressed her lips to his. They kissed passionately for a couple minutes.

When they pulled apart, Lorelai had a sad look on her face.

"It's okay." Luke whispered. He knew what she was upset about.

She gave him a small smile then rested her head on his chest.

* * *

Meanwhile, Rory got out of the Jeep and walked over to Logan.

"Hey." Logan greeted her, his voice gentle.

Rory crossed her arms, "Hi."

"We need to talk." Logan said.

"Then talk." Rory said bitterly.

* * *

 **Author's note: Another cliff hanger…  
Thank you for reading. Reviews are appreciated**.


	14. The Uncertain Future

" _Then talk." Rory said bitterly._

"I still want to be with you Ace." Logan said bluntly.

"Don't call me that right now… it doesn't seem like you want to be with me. You'd rather have fun with your friends."

"Okay, maybe I was wrong to spend my free time with Colin and Finn, but I just wanted to take a load off and have some fun. Is it wrong for me to want torelieve some stress every once and a while?"

"It's the fact that you'd rather have fun then be there for me!" Rory raised her voice. "You're my boyfriend Logan; you're supposed to be there for me… especially at a time like this." She glared at him, her arms still crossed.

"That's…" Logan stopped and took a breath. "That's been really hard for me." He looked at Rory.

"What's hard for you?" She asked calmly.

"Being your boyfriend. I'm not used to being in a committed relationship." He admitted.

"Oh." Rory said softly. She looked away from him.

Logan continued. "And I'm still learning how to be a good boyfriend. It's just a big change for me."

"I get that, but you agreed to be my boyfriend. You agreed to be exclusive. You told me you loved me." Rory's voice broke.

"I do, at least I think I do. I don't know… I've never been in love. I just know that I want to be with you Rory." He stepped closer to her and reached out.

Rory took a step back. "I want to be with you too but how can I be sure of that when it seems like you want to avoid me? I know you'd rather spend time with Colin and Finn, and that hurts Logan! I need you but I just don't think you need me. You don't want all the baggage I come with!" She shouted.

"Baggage?" Logan was confused.

"I'm a relationship girl; you're not a relationship guy. And now with everything with my mom I think you feel obligated to stay in this relationship because you don't want to hurt me. I know you care about me Logan… but you've hurt me. You chose the easy way out by spending your free time with your friends. I just don't know if I can rely on you."

"So are you breaking up with me?" Logan asked in a low voice.

"I… I think it would be best if we just take a break. Maybe until the new semester starts, we need time apart to evaluate this relationship. I think you need time to think about me, about us. And I just need to focus on my mom until I have to go back to Yale." Rory answered.

Logan nodded. "Are you sure?" He asked, sounding a bit hesitant.

"Yes." Rory answered simply.

Logan took a step toward her. Rory didn't step back this time. He kissed her softly. It was a goodbye kiss. "I'll see you at Yale." He said gently.

Rory just nodded. She didn't cry as he walked away. _You did the right thing._ She told herself.

* * *

When Rory stepped into the living room, she saw Lorelai and Luke cuddled up on the couch. Lorelai's head was on Luke's chest and both of their eyes were closed. She didn't want to disturb them, so she tiptoed past them. On the way to her room, she accidently bumped into the table. Lorelai opened her eyes and lifted her head.

"Rory?" Lorelai called out. Luke also opened his eyes. They both turned to face Rory.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to wake you up." Rory muttered as she walked back towards them.

"It's okay, I wasn't asleep yet." Lorelai told her. She looked at Rory's face. "How did the talk with Logan go?"

"Um we decided to take a break… probably until I go back to Yale."

Lorelai's brow furrowed and she frowned. "I'm sorry hon."

"It's okay, really." Rory replied.

Lorelai nodded. "Are you heading to bed?"

"Yeah, I'm pretty tired. I'm going to read in bed then go to sleep."

"All right, good night."

"'Night Mom," Rory turned around and walked to her room.

"Do you think she'll be okay?" Luke asked, concerned.

"I hope so." Lorelai said quietly.

"Ready to go to bed?" He asked.

Lorelai nodded. "Will you carry me? I don't want to walk."

Luke got up quickly then bent down to pick her up.

"Whoa I was kidding. I probably shouldn't have joked about that, I can walk hon."

"It's fine." Luke deadpanned as he lifted her in his arms.

Lorelai smiled. "You're a wonderful man."

Luke didn't say anything. He carried her upstairs and put her down when they got to the bedroom. They both went into the bathroom and brushed their teeth. It was a bit awkward for them to spit into the same sink, Luke noticed.

"Hey maybe we should do some renovations on the house." He said.

"Renovations? Like what?" Lorelai wondered.

"Well, we could put another sink in the bathroom for one thing. And there isn't much room for my clothes in your closet so we could make it bigger."

"Hmm, it seems like you're planning on living here a long time mister. Dare I say for the rest of your life?" She raised her eyebrows at him.

Luke spat into the sink as she finished her sentence. "Well yeah, maybe," He shrugged.

"Maybe?" She hit him playfully. "Well, I don't have a ring yet" She said quietly.

Luke looked down.

"I was just teasing you babe. It's fine if you're not ready for marriage. I'm totally okay with living together and not being married. I love living with you." Lorelai smiled and reached out to touch his hair.

Luke rinsed his toothbrush under the tap and wiped his mouth with a towel. "I know, don't worry about it." He said a little stiffly. Then he smiled softly. "I like living with you too." He brought his hand up to her face and touched her chin lightly.

Lorelai smiled back. "We can renovate the house eventually… once everything is normal again." She continued brushing her teeth.

Luke nodded then grabbed his cup of water and left the bathroom. Lorelai quickly finished brushing her teeth and headed back into the bedroom. Luke was already lying down. _He must have changed really fast_ Lorelai thought. The lamp on his side was turned off. Lorelai went to the closet and dug around until she found what she was looking for. She quickly changed into one of Luke's flannel.

"Hey." She said gently to get Luke to look at her.

Luke sat up quickly. He saw the flannel and noticed it was a clean one, but he didn't care. He grinned.

Lorelai giggled. She knew he liked when she wore his flannels, he just didn't admit it.

She got in bed next to him and turned off the lamp on her side. Luke was still sitting up and he leaned in and kissed her twice.

"Night," He whispered.

"Night," They both lied down and he wrapped an arm around her.

* * *

A few days later, Lorelai went to her next treatment. Richard was already at the hospital when she, Rory and Luke arrived.

"Hi Dad." She greeted him with a smile.

"Hello Lorelai, Rory, Luke." Richard gave her a small smile back. Rory gave him a quick hug.

A little while later, Lorelai started the treatment session.

"Does it hurt?" Richard asked.

"No. Not really." Lorelai responded.

Luke and Rory were eating lunch in the cafeteria while Richard stayed with Lorelai.

"Are you comfortable or do you need anything?" Richard seemed to be nervous.

"I'm fine Dad, don't worry." She smiled at him.

"How long will you be receiving chemo?" He asked.

Lorelai was a little surprised that he had so many questions. She guessed that she forgot to tell her parents the details of everything, but Emily didn't ask. But she was touched that Richard cared.

"Well, each treatment can take as long as a few hours." She told him.

"I meant how long will you need chemo treatment?" Richard clarified.

"Oh, well it takes a lot of chemo to shrink the tumor. I won't be done until sometime after Rory goes back to Yale."

"I see." Richard responded.

"And then after chemo, it's surgery and probably radiation."

Richard nodded. "You can get through it." He assured.

Lorelai teared up and smiled softly at him, thankful to have him here.

Luke and Rory returned a couple of minutes later.

Richard stood up. "I have to go make a phone call. I'll be back soon."

"All right," Lorelai replied simply.

Luke took the seat on the left side of Lorelai. He took her hand.

"You okay?" He asked.

Lorelai just nodded.

Rory took the seat across from Lorelai.

An elderly couple sat down a few feet away. A nurse was setting the woman up for chemo.

Lorelai had never seen them before and she wanted to be friendly and talk to them. She found that talking to other patients was comforting in a way.

Luke, Rory and Lorelai chatted for a bit. They talked about missing town meetings. Sookie had called Lorelai every other night to try to keep her up with the happenings of the Inn and the town, but it wasn't the same as being there. Kirk had come to the house to ask Luke when the diner would be opening again. Luke told him when then asked him to leave.

Lorelai came to the door and Kirk tried to hug her, but Luke stopped him. Lorelai smiled at Kirk, she knew he was just trying to be supportive.

They were silent for a couple minutes. Lorelai noticed that Luke's thumb was brushing her ring finger but she didn't think it meant anything.

The elderly woman started conversation. "Hello dear. I don't think I've seen you here before. I'm Greta and this is my husband, Tim."

Lorelai smiled at her. "Hi. I'm Lorelai and this is my daughter Rory and my man, Luke."

Luke frowned. He thought that was a weird way for her to introduce him.

"Your daughter? I thought she was your sister, you look very young."

"Oh, well thank you, I think. I am on the younger side to be diagnosed with breast cancer." Lorelai said bluntly.

Luke swallowed nervously and Rory looked around the room.

Greta nodded. Tim spoke, "It nice to see another supportive husband," He said to Luke.

"Oh, I'm not her husband." Luke said in a low voice.

"Oh, is that so?" Greta asked.

"He's my boyfriend, my live-in boyfriend actually." Lorelai regretted saying that thinking that the couple might disapprove.

"That's nice. I just thought you two were married since you seem so close." Greta said. "But it is nice to see that you have someone to be here with you." She smiled.

Luke and Lorelai both smiled at that. Luke and Tim talked found a common interest to talk about, fishing. The five of them talked for a little while. Greta told them her cancer story. She had been diagnosed with stage IV lung cancer and the prognosis wasn't good. She had transferred to this hospital from a suburban one. She was still staying as positive as she could though and she kept saying how lucky she was to have Tim by her side. Lorelai felt the same way about Luke and she tried to imagine them still being together at that age. It was a little hard to imagine, but she smiled at the thought.

Richard returned soon after that. He told Lorelai that he had a business matter to attend to.

"I'm sorry." He said gently.

"It's okay Dad. I'm just happy you came today. Don't work too hard." Lorelai cautioned.

Richard nodded and gave her gentle smile. "I'll see you soon, sweetheart."

Lorelai almost gasped. She couldn't remember the last time Richard had used a term of endearment. She felt herself tearing up. She almost said "I love you" but she couldn't bring herself too. She wasn't sure why.

Richard said a quick goodbye to Rory and Luke and left.

"Your father seems like a kind man." Greta said.

"He is." Rory spoke fondly of her grandfather.

Lorelai shared a smile with Luke. He could tell she was pleasantly surprised. He knew Richard was never a bad father, he just did what he thought he was supposed to so to support his family.

* * *

Later that night, as they lied in bed and watched TV, Lorelai had a thought. She turned off the TV.

Luke was almost asleep.

"Hey, you still awake?" She whispered.

"Hmm." Luke turned to face her.

"How about when all of this is over, we go on a vacation?" She asked.

"Where would we go?" He asked.

"I don't know. Maybe we could go camping."

"Camping? You don't like camping." He pointed out.

"Yes, but you haven't been fishing or camping in forever. Don't you want to go?"

"Well yeah, but you don't. We should go somewhere you want to go." Luke wondered why she seemed so insistent on doing something he liked.

"I would go camping with you. We always do things I like to do. I feel like you're left out or something. It's not fair." Lorelai said. She wanted to do something nice for him. He deserved to relax.

"I like doing things with you. I like spending time with you. We should do something you like… you deserve it after everything you've been through." He said in a low voice.

Lorelai knew he was right. "Okay, but imagine you and me all cuddled up in a sleeping bag together." She moved closer to him and kissed his chin. "We would have a good time I think." She kissed his cheek.

Luke smirked. "You make a good point." He kissed her temple.

Lorelai pulled back a little. She frowned suddenly. "But that won't be for a while." She sniffed.

Luke reached out and pulled her against him. "The wait will be worth it." He whispered. "Everything is going to work out." He tried to assure her.

She pressed her face into his chest and sighed. She pulled her head away and looked up at him. "I don't know what I'd do without you."

 _Hopefully you never have to find out_. He thought. He didn't want to say it out loud. He wanted to try to stay positive.

"Luke?" She got his attention back.

"Yeah?" He whispered

"Goodnight." She moved to kiss him. It was a sweet, long kiss.

"Goodnight." He said back when she pulled away.

She lied down and closed her eyes, facing him.

He watched her breathe in and out. He knew that he would never love another woman as much as he loved her. She was it for him. Even if he lost her, he would never be able to love the same way again. He just knew that.

Luke closed his eyes and fell asleep fast. He dreamed of a happy future.

 **Author's note: Thank you for all the reviews, follows and favourites. I hope you like this chapter.**


	15. A Breath of Fresh Air

A few days after Lorelai's next treatment, Luke planned a day trip. He checked with Lorelai's oncologist to make sure her immune system was strong enough to handle the outdoors. She gave him the all clear. He didn't tell Lorelai what he had planned; he just told her that they would be spending the day out. He told her to bring a jacket as there was a chance that it would rain, but she forgot.

As they drove in the direction of Hartford, Lorelai became more and more curious as to where they were going.

"Hey, Luke it's almost lunch time. Are we going to stop for lunch? Or does the place we're going to sell food?" She asked as she looked over at him.

"You'll see." Luke replied with a small smile.

Lorelai smiled back and turned to look out the window. They didn't talk for the rest of the drive. Lorelai knew he wouldn't tell her where they we're going.

* * *

Meanwhile, Rory decided to spend the day with Emily. They were at the Gilmore house, enjoying brunch. Richard was away on another business trip.

"Grandma?" Rory said to get Emily's attention.

Emily seemed to be miles away. She turned her attention to Rory, "Yes?"

"You seem distracted. You want to talk about something? Is something bothering you?" Rory asked.

"Oh… it's just that I miss your Grandfather and I just want everything to be okay with your mother. I get worried sometimes." Emily admitted.

"We all do." Rory replied. She took a sip of her coffee. "But she can make it through this. We have to stay positive… no matter how hard that might be. She needs us."

Emily nodded. "I told her that I want to be there for her and she told me she wouldn't shut me out and we've talked since then and I went to her last treatment, but I just feel a little useless. I want to do something more to help her out."

"You're doing all you can." Rory smiled at her. "I think Mom feels like she's a burden and she needs to push us away sometimes to have alone time to think. But she knows that we're all here for her. She knows that she doesn't have to suffer alone." She wiped at the tear that had fallen down her cheek.

"You're right." Emily said stiffly. She sighed heavily. "Are you feeling all right? Are you going to be able to focus at Yale this fall?" She met Rory's gaze. Her expression was unreadable.

"I'm going to have to. Mom is my priority but school is important too. I'll call her everyday of course, but I think having Paris and Logan there with me will help me focus in a way. They'll be there for me…" She trailed off, lost in thought. She knew Paris would be supportive, but she was a little wary of Logan. She wanted things to go back to normal once she was back at Yale, but she wasn't sure if Logan would be ready to be with her. But she wouldn't blame him if he wasn't.

"How's Logan doing?" Emily asked.

"Um. We're taking a break right now. I'll see him when I go back to Yale."

"Oh." Emily seemed to be surprised. "Are you okay with that?" She asked gently.

Rory was touched that Emily cared. "Yeah. It was my idea. I could tell he was stressed out with everything that he has on his plate right now. I didn't want to rely on him for everything but I also wanted him to be there for me more. It's complicated." She shrugged.

"I understand." Emily conceded. "I want your grandfather to be here more often but he has to work too. We all need to handle all responsibilities but we also need to balance work life with home life. It's hard." She looked away.

Rory just nodded. She didn't want to tell Emily about Logan spending his time with Colin and Finn. They finished eating in silence then Rory said goodbye and promised to call later that night when Richard would return.

* * *

Luke switched lanes as they got closer to the highway exit that was close to their destination. Lorelai still had no idea where they were going.

"Close your eyes." He told Lorelai.

"What?"

"Close your eyes so it will be a surprise." He said.

Lorelai closed her eyes. Luke looked over at her for a split second. He smiled to himself. He hoped that she would like what he had planned for them.

He parked the truck and told her to wait. He got out and quickly walked around to the passenger side and opened to door. He reached for her hand and she threaded her fingers through his. He helped her out of the truck and they walked for a few minutes, Lorelai keeping her eyes closed.

Luke stopped, making Lorelai stop. "Open your eyes."

Lorelai grinned and opened her eyes. They were standing in front of a sign that said _Goodwin Park._

"Oh." Lorelai whispered.

Luke squeezed her hand. "I thought we'd take a walk then eat lunch. I packed a picnic. Is that okay?" He said quietly. He wasn't sure if she would like that idea.

She turned and pressed a quick kiss to his cheek. "It's more than okay. It sounds perfect."

"Are you sure… we co-"

She cut him off. "I'm sure."

"Okay." He whispered.

"Give me your hat."

"What?" He was confused.

"Give me your hat. I want to wear it. It's hot and I think I'd sweat to death wearing this." Lorelai pointed to her head scarf.

"Oh, right." He said. It was a hot day. She hadn't brought her own baseball cap. He took off his blue cap and handed it to her. She removed her head scarf and put the hat on forwards.

Lorelai wasn't comfortable wearing nothing on her head in public. She was used to being bald, but she didn't like being stared at. You could still see that she was bald under the cap, but it still gave her more confidence.

Luke had also gotten used to her being bald. He missed her hair, but he knew it would grow back eventually and she knew that she was still beautiful to him.

"Come on." He tugged her hand gently. They started walking through the park.

"This really is nice. It's nice to get some fresh air." She said a few minutes later.

"Mmm hmm," He agreed.

They kept walking and Lorelai was happy that he hadn't let go of her hand.

"I'm surprised you're still holding my hand." She giggled softly.

"Why?" He asked.

"Because I know you aren't really a hand holding guy. You hold my hand when I'm scared or worried, just not when we're walking…"

"You like holding hands." He replied.

"Yes. You're the one who doesn't." She smirked.

"I don't hate it." He frowned.

"I guess so, but you do it because I like it." She claimed.

Luke didn't say anything. His thumb caressed her wrist.

"You do it to make me happy." She said gently.

"I like to see you happy." He said in a low voice. He liked to see her smile as it was a rare occurrence these days.

"I know." She responded. They walked around the park and made their way back to the truck. Luke took out the picnic basket from the back.

Lorelai was amazed that she hadn't noticed it before. He also picked up a blanket. He locked the truck and they headed over to a grassy area. Luke carried the basket in his hand and the blanket under his arm. Lorelai reached for his other hand but he put his arm around her shoulders instead.

Lorelai leaned against him. She thought back to a year ago. _Who would have thought we would be here now?_ She thought. When he spent seven weeks with Liz and TJ last summer, she thought about him every day. She missed him like crazy and Rory was in Europe with Emily so she was lonely. Every day she would remember their kiss and smile to herself. She couldn't wait for him to come back so they could start their relationship. She was nervous to become more than friends but she also knew it was right, that they were right.

"Luke?" She said to get his attention.

"Yeah?" He answered, his eyes filled with concern.

Lorelai smiled to ease him. She figured he was worried that something was wrong. "Thank you for kissing me."

"Huh?" He was confused.

She laughed. "It is a weird thing to say… I mean thanks for taking a chance and kissing me. I'm just…" She looked at him. "Thankful that you kissed me that day and that we took a chance and made our friendship into something deeper you know? I'm just happy to have you." She looked down. She didn't think she worded that the best way.

"Me too," He said. He pulled her closer and rubbed her back. They found a spot and Luke spread out the blanket. He placed the basket on top of it then reached out for Lorelai.

He pulled her into a deep kiss, knocking the hat off.

When they pulled apart, she blinked. A slow smile spread across her face. "Well, that was… wow."

Luke grinned. He wanted to show her that he felt the same way.

"Let's eat." She said quickly.

Luke nodded and they sat down. He noticed that she didn't put the hat back on. He picked it up and put it on her backwards.

She stuck her tongue out at him. He didn't laugh or smile, he just looked at her. She leaned in and pecked his lips.

They sat and ate, chatted a little bit.

"Lorelai," He said seriously when they had finished eating.

"Hmm?" She mumbled.

"I know it will be hard for you… when Rory goes back to Yale. I'll be there for you." He said softly.

"I know." She said simply.

"I know it's not the same as her being there but…" He trailed off, not knowing what to say.

"I know hon. I know you'll never leave me and I know everything will be harder without Rory there… but you don't need to take care of everything by yourself." She sighed. "What I mean is you don't always need to drop everything to care of me." She stopped and looked at him.

Luke wouldn't meet her eyes. "But I want to."

She reached out and rubbed his arm. "I know and I appreciate it but you need to take care of yourself too. I worry about you too… remember that." She moved her hand to his cheek.

"Okay." He whispered. He knew she was right. They had talked about it before and he didn't want it to be a thing. They were both stubborn and they worried about each other. He knew nothing good would come out of arguing and that his health mattered too.

She met his gaze and he leaned in and captured her lips with his. They shared a few tender kisses before Lorelai pulled away. She looked up and frowned.

"Um when did it get so dark?"

Luke looked up and noticed that the clouds had covered the sun. It looked like rain was coming.

They looked at each other for minute, silently debating whether or not they should leave.

Lorelai felt a rain drop on her face. Before she could speak, it started raining harder. She gasped.

"Did you bring a jacket?" Luke asked.

Lorelai shook her head.

"I told you to being one!" He shouted.

It started to pour. Luke jumped up and started picking up their trash and putting it into the basket. Lorelai sat there with her eyes closed.

Luke stared at her. "Come on, let's go."

Lorelai stood up. Luke rolled up the blanket then held out his hand to her.

She didn't take his hand.

"Lorelai! Come on! We're getting soaked!"

Lorelai grinned. For some reason, the rain pleased her. She looked at Luke and saw the annoyed look on her face. She still didn't take his hand. She ran towards the truck, laughing.

Luke didn't think it was funny. He ran as fast as he could and caught up with her. They quickly got in the truck. Luke grunted. He was soaked from head to toe.

Lorelai had trouble catching her breath. Luke turned to face her.

"You okay? You shouldn't exert yourself like that." He patted her back.

She steadied her breathing. "I'm fine." She assured him.

"You're shaking." He pointed out.

"I'm just cold." Her teeth chattered. She was wearing a thin t-shirt and jeans.

Luke started the truck and turned the heat on. He drove as fast as he could.

* * *

When they got home, they rushed into the house. Luke ushered Lorelai upstairs and told her to take off her clothes.

Lorelai raised her eyebrows. "You want to see me naked?" She teased.

Luke rolled his eyes. "You need to take a hot shower."

"Will you join me?" She asked with a smile.

"I guess. I'm cold too." He said quietly.

She grinned as she started removing her clothes. He shook his head but smiled too and stepped into the bathroom.

* * *

Rory arrived home half an hour after Lorelai and Luke did.

"Mom?" She called out.

"Upstairs!" Lorelai shouted out.

Rory headed upstairs she stopped outside Lorelai's bedroom. The door was only a fraction open. She heard Lorelai giggling and she wasn't sure what was going on.

Luke and Lorelai were lying on the bed, Luke was tickling her.

"Stop!" She whispered between giggles. She didn't know what had gotten into him. They had been lying in the bed relaxing when Luke rolled over and started to rub her arm, which turned into him tickling her.

"Is it safe to come in?" Rory called from the hallway.

Lorelai pushed Luke's hand away.

"Yes sweets." She told Rory.

Luke blushed and got out of bed quickly. He wasn't wearing a shirt, only sweat pants.

As Rory stepped in the room, her eyes drifted from Lorelai to Luke.

Lorelai was fully dressed under the covers. Rory blushed and turned away as Luke put on a shirt.

"What's up hon? How was your day?" Lorelai asked Rory as she sat up.

"My day was fine. I just visited Lane. She and Zach are doing well."

"That's good. And how was brunch with Grandma?"

"It was good. How was your date?" Rory glanced at Luke. He was standing a bit awkwardly.

Lorelai gave Luke a look that said 'relax' and he did. "Our date was fun. Luke took me to a park and we had a picnic."

"Aww how sweet," Rory smiled.

Lorelai nodded. "But then it rained so we had to leave."

"We had to leave but you wanted to stay." Luke remarked.

Lorelai made a "tsk" sound. "I was having fun." She told him.

"I don't know why getting soaked is fun for you… you were freezing afterwards." He mumbled.

"I don't know either… it was just something I hadn't experienced in a while, I enjoyed it." Lorelai said.

Rory smiled at them. She was glad that Lorelai had fun and she knew that Luke felt the same way.

"Are you hungry? Luke was about to start dinner." Lorelai stood up and walked over to Rory.

"Yeah, I could eat." Rory said.

"Then let's head downstairs." Lorelai wrapped her arm around Rory. She looked at Luke.

"Are you coming babe?"

Luke nodded. He opened his mouth to say something, but his cell phone rang.

"I'll meet you guys downstairs in a few minutes." He picked up his phone from the nightstand. "It's Liz." He told them.

Lorelai and Rory left the room.

"Hey Liz,"

'Hi big brother, how's it going?"

"Fine,"

"How's Lorelai?"

"She's all right. We went out today, got some fresh air."

"That's nice and is Rory doing okay?"

"Yeah," Luke answered.

"So what's up? I missed your call last night." Liz said.

"Well, I wanted your opinion on something."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. Um well I think I want to marry Lorelai." Luke told her.

"You think?" Liz laughed.

"I know I do." Luke clarified.

"That's great Luke. What did you want my opinion on? Do you want me to talk to Lorelai to find out if I think she'd say yes to a proposal?"

"No, no nothing like that. I think I want to wait to propose until after she's finished treatment." Luke swallowed nervously. "I want to make sure that she's beaten this first…"

"Oh Luke," Liz said softly. "You're scared that she might not make it."

Luke started to say no, but stopped. "Yeah," One of his biggest fears was Lorelai losing her battle.

"Well I think it would be a good idea to wait. You would have all your troubles behind you and it would be a time to celebrate. So if she said yes, you would have even more to celebrate… does that make sense?" Liz answered.

"It does." Luke told her. "I think I will wait… I believe that she will beat this. I just get scared sometimes." His voice broke.

"I know." Liz understood.

"I just get reminded of when dad died and I get scared." Luke admitted.

"Oh big brother," Liz whispered.

"But I'm trying to stay positive. I haven't bought a ring yet or anything… do you think I should?"

"Yeah, I think you should. You want to marry the girl you love! This is a big thing!" Liz sounded excited.

"I was married before." Luke pointed out.

"There was no love in that marriage." Liz deadpanned.

"You didn't even meet Nicole." Luke said harshly.

"No, but I know that you didn't love her. I know Lorelai is the only woman you've ever truly loved."

Luke thought about that for a second. "I loved Rachel."

"She was your first love. Lorelai is your true love."

"Yeah." Luke agreed. "I have to go."

"Okay. Keep me updated." Liz said quickly.

"I will. Love you." He was surprised that he had said that. He guessed that Lorelai's diagnosis had made him realize that you should tell people you love them because you could lose them in a blink of an eye.

"Love you too. Bye."

"Bye." Luke hung up and headed downstairs.

* * *

The next couple of months flew by. They were a blur of treatments, dinners at the Gilmore house, and cherished moments. They were also rough nights where Lorelai didn't get any sleep. There were nights where Rory stayed up with her and they talked about anything besides cancer. There were also nights where Lorelai snuggled up to Luke he held her as she broke down. She was nearing the end of chemo and things were looking up a little.

The week before Rory was set to go back to Yale, Luke asked to talk to her while Lorelai napped. Rory had no idea what he wanted to talk about. She hoped he wouldn't tell her that she was too good for Logan. She still wanted things to work out with him, they had talked on the phone a few times and things were okay between them.

"So um… I'm going to ask your mom to marry me and I wanted to know what you think about that." Luke said slowly.

Rory was a little taken aback. She smiled. "Oh. Luke that's wonderful."

Luke raised his eyebrows.

"Really, it's great Luke. Mom loves you… and I do too. You've always been there for us and I know that will never change. I know Mom will say yes."

"Thanks Rory… I think she'll say yes too. I just wanted to ask you if you'd like to help me pick out a ring." Luke felt a tug on his heartstring.

"I'd love to." Rory replied. "Do you want to go now?"

"Sure." Luke smiled.

Rory left a note for Lorelai. It said that she and Luke had gone to pick up some groceries.

 **Author's note: Thanks for reading. I hope you liked this chapter, it's kind of a filler chapter.  
Reviews are appreciated.**


	16. Keep Fighting or Give Up?

Luke and Rory got in the truck and headed towards Hartford. They were barely two minutes away from the house when Luke pulled over. He put his face in his hands.

"Luke?" Rory didn't know what was wrong.

Luke took a minute to lift his head up. "What am I doing Rory?"

Rory frowned at him. "Um, buying Mom an engagement ring?"

"But I shouldn't." Luke looked away.

"Why not?"

"Because I'm not even sure that she's going to…" He stopped. He didn't want to make Rory upset.

"Oh." Rory looked down. "You think she might die." She swallowed the lump in her throat.

"I'm sorry." Luke whispered hoarsely.

"It's okay." Rory said gently.

"No it's not. I know you don't want to talk about it. We should try to stay positive." He met her eyes.

Rory looked back at him. "But it's a possibility, she might die. We can't just ignore that fact. I don't want to think about it… I want to stay positive but it's hard sometimes." She blinked to hide her tears.

"I know. I think about it every day." Luke's voice cracked. "It's hard not to but I can't imagine life without her."

Rory nodded slowly. "So you want to wait until she's cancer free to buy the ring?"

"I don't know." Luke admitted. He hadn't really thought it through. He knew he wanted Rory's help picking out the ring though.

"I think you should buy the ring now." Rory said quietly.

"Really?"

"Yeah, I mean we don't know what's going to happen… there are no guarantees but why not jump? Make an impulsive decision." She told him.

"But it's not impulsive, I want to marry her. But I mean it's not like we're gonna elope before she finishes treatment."

"I know, what I meant was take a chance and buy the ring. You know you want to marry her and you may not get to." She took a deep breath. "But I think you should do it. Just buy the ring and propose when she finishes treatment."

"But what if she doesn't make it? Then buying the ring would be pointless." Luke sighed.

"That's a chance you're willing to take though? Right?" Rory stared at him.

"I think so. I want to believe that everything will be okay and we'll make it through this. I want to look forward to the future." Luke nodded a wistful expression on his face.

"I want that too and I know that Mom wants you to be happy… and you want her to be happy. You make her happy, Luke. If we can make it through this, we can all be happy. So yes, I think you should take a risk and buy the ring."

Luke smiled softly. Rory was a little confused. His mood seemed to have changed drastically.

"Thanks for the talk, Rory. It really helped me… I'm glad that you're here. You mean a lot to me." Luke got choked up.

Rory smiled at him. "I'm glad I could help. I don't know where Mom or I would be without you, Luke… you're a huge part of our lives." She looked away for a second then looked back at him. "Now, I believe we have an engagement ring to buy?"

"Yes, we do." Luke nodded and gave her a small smile.

At the store, Luke took some time looking at a few different rings. Rory shared her opinions with him. His eye was drawn to one specific ring. He called Rory over to look.

"It's beautiful." Rory gasped.

"You think she'd like it?" Luke asked.

"Yeah, I think she'd love it." Rory grinned.

Luke asked the salesclerk what the price was and his mouth almost dropped open. It was almost twice as much as he expected. _Lorelai's worth it._ He told himself. _But what if you have to return it?_ He asked himself. _Don't think like that, just get it._ He bit his lip.

"I'll take it." He told the clerk.

Rory almost asked him if he was sure, but she saw the look in his eye and she knew that he was.

* * *

They stopped at Doose's on the way back to keep up the charade that they went out to buy groceries. When they stepped inside the house, Lorelai was there to greet them in the entryway.

"My favourite daughter and my man have returned! What did you get me?" She teased.

Luke ignored her question. "How did you sleep?" He asked as she stepped closer to him and reached out for him.

"Fine," She answered. He leaned down and gave her a quick kiss.

"We got popcorn for movie night." Rory said.

"Isn't every night movie night?" Lorelai replied.

"It seems like it." Luke mumbled.

Lorelai made a face at him.

"I'm okay with that though." He said gently.

Lorelai smiled at that.

They ate dinner and spent the rest of the night watching movies. On most nights, Lorelai was only in the mood to watch movies or relax. Luke and Rory just wanted to see her happy, so they didn't object.

* * *

On the day Rory moved back to Yale, Luke took most of her things in his truck while Rory drove her car with Lorelai in the passenger seat. As they stood outside her and Paris' apartment, something in the air seemed to change. They knew things would be different without Rory at home.

"Are you ready to hit the books again kid?" Lorelai asked.

"Um yeah I think so." Rory looked down.

"Hey." Lorelai whispered.

Rory met her gaze.

"Try not to worry about me… that might be impossible." She pressed her lips together. "What I mean is, I'll be okay. I'll miss you like crazy and I'll want to talk to you all the time, but we can make it through this. We'll be okay." Lorelai kept her eyes on Rory. She felt a tear slide down her cheek.

Rory nodded. "I'll call you every night that is if you don't call me." She laughed nervously.

"And you'll visit on weekends?" Lorelai asked a little hesitantly.

"Of course," Rory assured her. She glanced between Luke and Lorelai.

Luke was surprised when Rory reached out and hugged him. He hugged her back and ruffled her hair a little.

"I know you'll take care of Mom. Thank you." Rory whispered in Luke's ear.

"You don't need to thank me." Luke whispered back before Rory pulled away.

Lorelai held out her arms and Rory stepped into them.

"I love you." Lorelai kissed the top of Rory's head.

"I love you too."

They hugged a bit longer and with a longing glance and a wave, Rory turned around and walked way.

Luke wrapped his arm around Lorelai and she did the same, her hand rested on his hip.

"Ready to go?" Luke didn't want to push her, but he knew they couldn't stay there forever either.

Lorelai just nodded. They walked away, Lorelai leaned against him. He pressed a quick kiss to her temple.

The next day Rory found it difficult to focus on her classes. After her second class of the day, she headed to the closest coffee cart. She saw Logan sitting on a bench nearby. She couldn't help but smile. She hadn't seen him in weeks and she missed him.

Logan looked up suddenly, and when he noticed her he grinned. He stood and waited for her to walk over to him.

"Hi. How are you?" He asked gently.

"Hi. I'm all right. It's my first day back and I feel a little distracted thinking about my mom, but I'm okay." She responded.

Logan nodded. "And how's your mom? You mentioned that she should be done treatment in about a month when we spoke on the phone?"

Rory managed a small smile. "Yeah. She's okay. I wish I could be there for every treatment, but I need to be here. How are you?"

"I'm fine. I've missed you." He said gently. He looked at her with a pained expression.

"I missed you too." She admitted.

"Do you want to go and talk somewhere?" He asked.

"I can't." She answered immediately. "I need to grab a coffee and get to my next class."

"Oh." Logan looked disappointed. "Well, I'll see you around?"

"Yeah." Rory nodded. "It was nice to see you. I want us to work, Logan, I really do. I just need more time to deal with everything."

"I understand." Logan replied. He leaned in slowly. It seemed like he wasn't sure if Rory wanted him to touch her.

Rory leaned in a little and let him kiss her cheek.

"Call me when you want to talk." He whispered.

"Okay." She whispered back. He walked away.

* * *

A few days after that, Lorelai received her next chemo treatment. While she was at the hospital, she received some bad news. Greta, the woman she had met before had passed suddenly. Although their diagnoses and cases were very different, this diminished Lorelai's hope. She was feeling more depressed about everything. She didn't share her feelings with anyone.

A couple days later, the side effects hit Lorelai hard again. She couldn't sleep. She rolled over and faced Luke. He was fast asleep, snoring softly. She reached out and touched his hair. As she looked at him, she thought about how happy he had made her over the years. She was thankful that he could still sleep. She didn't want him to sacrifice too much for her.

Lorelai moved her hand to his cheek and her thumb brushed it gently. He could sleep through anything. She watched him for a few minutes. When she decided to get up, she pressed the gentlest of kisses to his forehead.

She slowly got out of bed. Before she left the room, she whispered: "Sweet dreams babe."

Once she was downstairs, she looked through their movie collection. She picked up the case of _Love Story_ , not remembering the plot of it. _Okay I'll watch this, why not?_ She thought. She popped it into the DVD player and pressed play.

Luke woke up from a deep sleep and reached for Lorelai to find an empty space next to him. He looked at the clock, it was five A.M., and he wondered where she was. After a quick trip to the bathroom, he headed downstairs. He heard Lorelai sobbing when he was halfway down the stairs. He bolted, worry flooding his mind. All of the lights were off and he almost tripped. He saw Lorelai's figure in the dark, she was sitting on the couch. He stood in front of the couch and reached for her.

"Lorelai?!" He said loudly.

Lorelai didn't answer, she kept sobbing. It was as if she didn't notice him.

"Lorelai, please…" He said more gently this time.

She still didn't answer. She just sniffed.

He sighed and turned around. The TV was off, he noticed for the first time. Putting his hands out in front of him, he walked over to the light switch and turned the lights on.

"Don't." Lorelai said bitterly. She bawled.

Luke quickly walked back to her. He sat down next to her. "Lorelai, please you need to tell me what happened. Is Rory okay?"

Lorelai took a shaky breath. "She's fine, as far as I know. But it doesn't matter; we're all going to die anyway."

"What?" Luke didn't know what was making her say this.

Lorelai coughed as she held back a sob. "I just watched _Love Story_ , Luke. I know you don't like that movie, but you remember what happens to Jenny, don't you?" She whispered.

"Um.." Luke thought about. "Oh.. She dies at the end right?"

"Yes. She dies… she had leukemia. Everyone dies… cancer kills everyone. Greta's dead and I'm going to be the next victim." Lorelai bit her lip as tears rolled down her cheeks.

"Lorelai, no. People survive cancer. And Jenny is a fictional character." Luke said a bit harshly.

Lorelai glared at him. "Greta was a real person!" She shouted. "She died and I'm probably going to die too… just accept it. I've accepted it. I should probably give up and stop treatment now." She sobbed.

"I know she was." Luke said in a low voice. "But you can't compare yourself to her, she had lung cancer and she was a lot older than you and there were other contributing factors here… Lorelai please don't give up." He took a deep breath. "I can't lose you."

"I don't want to do this anymore… I'm sorry. I'm giving up. I'm tired and I'm scared and I'm done. You can't stop me. You have no say." Lorelai wouldn't look at him.

"You're talking crazy right now. You have to keep pushing through. You're almost done and Stephanie told you that the treatments are working. You can't give up now. You've come too far." Luke kept his voice steady. He didn't yell and he tried not to be angry.

"You don't get it." Lorelai pushed him away and stood up. "You don't see that I'm suffering." She turned and strode away. She went into Rory's room, shutting the door behind her, she sat down on the bed, picked up a pillow and pressed her face into it. It masked the sound of her sobs.

Luke sighed and followed her. He tried turning the knob of the door and found that it was locked.

"Lorelai please. Let me in. You can't just shut me out like this."

"No." Lorelai whispered between sobs. She knew he couldn't hear her.

"You can't stay in there forever. I'm staying here." Luke sild to the floor pressed his back to the door.

A few minutes of silence passed.

Luke sighed in frustration. "Damn it Lorelai. I may not know what it's like to experience what you're going through, but I'm here. I'm here to talk to you, support you and love you. You can't do this to me, I'm in this too. You can't…" He stopped and listened, hoping to hear her respond.

Another minute of silence, then Luke heard a sound on the other side of the door.

Lorelai got up and walked over to the door. Luke barely had time to get up before she opened the door. They stared at each other for a few seconds.

Luke tentatively held out his arms to her. Lorelai glanced at him for a few more seconds before she stepped into his embrace.

"I'm sorry." She said repeatedly.

"Shh," He whispered, clinging to her.

Lorelai pulled back a little. Luke's hands rested on her back.

"I know it isn't fair to you, but I really am losing hope and I want to give up. I don't know… it's just getting harder and harder and now Rory's gone and I…" She cried.

"I know." Luke pulled her closer. "But you're being irrational … I'm sorry, but it's true."

Lorelai pulled away and took a step back. She shook her head. "You don't know what it's like. I'm going crazy… and I have these crazy thoughts. But maybe they aren't so crazy. I just don't know." She stressed.

"Okay." Luke said gently. He walked away and picked up the phone from the table. He came back to her and held out the phone to her.

"Maybe you should call Rory." He said.

"What? No, it's 5 AM. She's asleep."

"She said you could call anytime." He reminded her. "Please."

Lorelai sighed and took the phone from him. It only rang twice before Rory picked up.

"Mom? Is everything okay?" Her voice was weak.

"I'm… not feeling so good right now hon." Lorelai confessed.

"What's wrong?"

"I um.." Lorelai exhaled. "I watched a movie… you know, _Love Story_ and you know how it ends and I…I just broke down. I'm losing hope, Rory. I shouldn't even be telling you this but… I'm tired and I want to give up. I'm so sorry." Her voice shook as she cried.

"Mom…" Rory whispered.

"I'm so sorry honey."

"You have to keep fighting. I know it's hard… I can't even imagine how hard it must be… but you can't give up now. You've come such a long way. Please don't give up Mom. I can't lose you.. I can't." Rory choked.

Lorelai looked at Luke and his expression broke her heart. She reached out to him and he gave her his hand. She squeezed his hand then dropped it.

"I can't give up… you're right you're both right. The outcome may not be good, but I have to keep fighting for you, for me." Lorelai looked into Luke's eyes as she spoke. "I'm sorry." She said gently.

Luke opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out.

"Don't apologize." Rory told Lorelai.

"I have to. It isn't fair to you and Luke and everyone. You've supported me day after day and I told you I want to give up. But I want to keep fighting because I can't leave you. You made me realize that I can't give up…I can't do that to myself or you." Lorelai conceded.

"I'm happy to hear that." Rory said. "Thank you for calling me, I uh hope I helped."

Lorelai smiled at Luke. "Luke told me to call you. You did help. You helped a lot. I love you so much Rory."

"I know and I love you too Mom. Stay strong, I'll be home tomorrow and we can talk all night. Can you give the phone to Luke for a minute?"

"Sure. I'll see you soon hon." Lorelai passed the phone to Luke.

Luke didn't know why Rory wanted to talk to him.

"Hey Rory,"

"Hi Luke. Can you do me a favour?"

"Um sure." Luke kept his eyes on Lorelai.

"I know something you can do that might cheer up Mom a little. Go into my room and you'll see my CD stack on my dresser."

"Uh okay." Luke replied. He gestured for Lorelai to wait outside of the room and stepped inside. Lorelai went to go sit in the living room.

"They're in alphabetical order. Under L, there should be a CD labeled 'Lorelai's favourite songs: 2004'." Rory told him.

"Yeah. I found it." Luke answered as he picked up the CD case.

"Okay. Take my CD player into the living room and play track number seven. Dance with her."

"What? Why?" Luke was confused.

"It's the song you and Mom danced to at Liz's wedding." Rory explained.

"Oh." Luke didn't know that Lorelai had that song on a CD.

"Yeah. She'll tell you about how we found the song, I know she will."

"Oh okay." Luke was wondering if this was a good idea.

Rory seemed to sense his worry. "Don't worry, this will make her happy. I know it will. Just do it okay, Luke?"

"Okay." Luke trusted her.

"All right, I'll talk to you later. Bye Luke."

"Bye Rory."

Luke walked out the room. He hung up the phone and sauntered over to Lorelai.

"Hey." He said gently.

"Hey." She whispered back.

"Wait here a minute." He told her.

Lorelai squinted at him. Luke went back into Rory's room and picked up her CD player.

He placed in on the table then pushed to table to make room. Lorelai watched in confusion. Luke took the CD out of the case and put it in the player. He plugged the player in then found the play button and pressed it. He skipped to the seventh song.

When the song started playing Lorelai gasped, she recognised it immediately.

Luke held out his hand to her. She took it and he pulled her up.

"Rory told me to dance with you. This is the song we danced to at Liz's wedding." Luke said.

Lorelai smiled softly. "Remind me to thank Rory later." She gestured for him to put his other hand on her waist and he did.

They swayed slowly. "After the wedding, this song was stuck in my head for days. I told Rory about and she helped me find it online." She said slowly.

Luke nodded and smiled. "It was stuck in my head for a bit too." He admitted.

Lorelai smiled back. "She burned it to a CD for me and I listened to it almost every day… I thought about our dance and I was so happy but scared at the same time."

"Scared?" He asked.

They waltzed slowly. "Scared of my feelings for you, I mean you were my best friend and I was feeling these romantic feelings for you… I didn't want to ruin our friendship."

"But I felt the same way."

"I know. I was just… overwhelmed. I didn't even know that that was a date and you asked me out again and I was amazed. 'I'm dating my best friend' I thought. It was wonderful and scary at the same time. But everything turned out great." She moved her hand from his shoulder to his cheek. "It's a good thing you asked me out that day…" She laughed. "I'm so happy to have you in my life."

Luke didn't say anything; he just pressed his lips to hers. Their kisses were gentle and passionate. Neither of them wanted to pull away.

When they pulled back for air, Lorelai pressed her forehead to Luke's. They stayed like that for a minute. The song had ended and the next one began. It was a much faster song and Lorelai started giggling. Luke chuckled.

Luke pulled her into his chest. Lorelai sighed.

"You're not going to give up, are you?" He asked seriously.

"No." She said softly.

"Good." He replied.

She started rubbing his back and he kissed her forehead. They were comforting each other.

After a couple minutes, he pulled back. "I love you."

"I love you too." She leaned in for another kiss.

They shared a couple sweet kisses.

"Want to come back to bed?" He asked.

"I don't think I'll be able to sleep, but okay."

He took her hand and they walked upstairs together. Once they were lying in bed with the lights off, she moved and laid her head on his chest. They both closed their eyes and waited for sleep that wouldn't come.

* * *

 **Author's Note: Thank you for reading, reviewing following and favouriting this story. I feel like maybe Lorelai's mood changed too fast in this chapter? Please let me know what you think. As always, reviews are appreciated.**


	17. Pushing Through

A few hours later, Luke opened his eyes. He hadn't slept at all; he had just been resting his eyes. He suspected that Lorelai didn't sleep either. He looked over at her. She was right next to him. He felt her warm breath on his shoulder. Her hand rested on his chest.

Luke let out a breath and Lorelai opened her eyes.

"Hey" He whispered.

"Morning," She replied.

"Did you get any sleep?"

She shook her head. "You?"

"No."

Lorelai smiled suddenly. "Rory's coming home tonight."

Luke smiled back. He turned his head and kissed her temple.

She moved so that the upper half of her body was lying on his chest.

"What do you want to do today?" She asked.

"What do you feel like doing?"

"Um… something that will distract me until Rory comes home. There are too many hours in the day…" She mumbled.

"Are you up for a walk around town?"

"Sure. As long as we get some food in me first," She answered.

"Okay. What do you want?"

"Um bacon and eggs would be good."

"All right,"

She moved off him and he got up.

"I'm gonna take a shower while you cook." She told him.

"Okay."

She got up and rubbed his arm as she walked past him on her way to the bathroom.

Luke yawned. He was tired, but he could stay awake.

Twenty minutes later, they sat down and ate breakfast. When they finished eating, Luke stood up and started doing the dishes.

"You don't have to do those right now. They can wait." She suggested.

"I'd rather get them done now." He said flatly.

"But you're tired." She pointed out.

He sighed. "I can go without sleep for a day. I'm fine."

"I'm sorry." She said softly.

Luke turned the tap off. "Sorry? For what?"

"For last night, I kept you up…"

"You already apologized." He said stiffly. He didn't turn to face her.

Lorelai stood up and took a step towards him.

"I know but-"

He interrupted her. "No buts. I accept your apology. Can we move on?"

"Luke…" She whispered.

Luke finally turned around and faced her. She didn't meet his eyes.

"I'm sorry that I was acting selfish last night. I don't really want to give up." She muttered.

"I know." His voice softened. "You told me last night. I understand why you felt like giving up though. I-" He stopped. She still wouldn't look at him.

"Lorelai, look at me."

She slowly looked up.

"I'm sorry too. I uh… look; we're doing the best we can. We all are. Sometimes it's going to be hard. Most of the time it's going to be hard… but giving up is something we both can't do." He stressed.

Lorelai nodded. "Okay." She stepped closer to him. "And I promise that I will never decide anything without talking to you… and you have to promise to tell me how you're feeling. You have to let me know if you need space or anything, okay?" She looked into his eyes.

"I'm not going anywhere. I told you before, we're in this together. I'm in for the long haul… I can survive without sleep. You don't have to worry about me all the time and you're not a burden." He said solemnly. He reached out and touched her cheek gently.

She stepped even closer and wrapped her arms around his waist. "Okay." She whispered in his ear. He held her tight. Neither of them wanted to let go and they stood like that for a couple of minutes, relaxed.

Lorelai pulled back.

"Ready to head out?" He asked her.

She nodded. "Just got to brush my teeth and put my shoes on."

Ten minutes later, they were off. As they walked through the town square, a group of people rushed over to them, including Miss Patty, Babette, Kirk and Taylor.

"Lorelai! How are you doing doll?" Babette asked. Kirk and Taylor spoke at the same time and Lorelai couldn't listen to them all at once.

"I'm all right Babette, thanks."

"How's Rory? Did she head back to Yale?" Miss Patty asked.

"Yeah" Lorelai said sadly. "But she's coming back to visit for the weekend tonight." She smiled.

"That's good." Miss Patty responded.

"I can get one of our bag boys to deliver some groceries to you." Taylor offered.

Lorelai was a little surprised at his gesture. "Oh no Taylor, that's fine. Luke gets our groceries." She patted Luke's shoulder.

"I can take over the diner." Kirk said to Luke.

Luke blinked. "No thanks Kirk." He deadpanned.

"Speaking of the diner, Weston's has satisfied the needs of your customer's, Luke." Taylor said.

"What does that mean Taylor?"

"Just that people still have somewhere to eat while the diner is temporarily closed." Taylor replied warily.

Luke just nodded.

"Lorelai, honey, you don't need that baseball cap. You're beautiful no matter what." Miss Patty said sincerely

Lorelai reached up and touched her baseball cap. Luke reached for her hand and squeezed it. He agreed with Patty.

Lorelai hesitated before she removed the cap. Babette, Patty and Luke all smiled at her.

"So how much longer until you're done treatment, sugar?" Babette questioned.

"Not too much longer." Lorelai told her.

"That's great. You let us know if you or Rory need anything, right, Patty?"

Miss Patty nodded. "You too, Luke," She reached out and touched Luke's arm.

Luke just nodded. They chatted a little more; Lorelai got caught up with the happenings of the town. When Lorelai and Luke left and continued their walk, the townsfolk stayed and started planning something.

When Lorelai and Luke returned home that afternoon, she called Sookie to catch up and ask how the Inn was doing. Sookie told her not to worry, that the Inn was fine. She also said that she would drop by the next day with a meal so that Luke could have a night off from cooking.

* * *

Meanwhile, Rory waited for Logan to meet her for lunch. She had agreed to talk with him over lunch before she drove back to Stars Hollow. Logan walked into the restaurant, spotted Rory and sat down across from her.

"Am I late?" He asked.

Rory shook her head. "I'm early."

"Did you order yet?"

"No. I just got my drink." Rory pointed to the glass of lemonade on the table.

Logan nodded and picked up his menu. The waitress came to the table a couple minutes later and Rory ordered her food. Logan ordered water with his food and Rory was a bit surprised.

"So, do you have another class before you head back home?"

"No. I only had one class this morning. My Fridays aren't very busy, it worked out well…" Rory said slowly.

"That's good." Logan replied.

There was a minute of silence.

"Logan?"

"Yeah?"

"I've had a lot of time to think about us these past few days since I'm not at home with my mom and… I think I want to end our break." Rory looked at him, waiting for him to respond.

"You think?" Logan replied with a small smile.

Rory smiled back, she couldn't help it. "No, I'm sure. I want to be with you. Having time to think about it really made me realize that I wasn't very fair. My mom's cancer has been hard to handle and I know it must have been hard for you to handle too. I mean we just started this relationship and I needed you so much but you couldn't always be there." She rambled then stopped, thinking about what she wanted to say.

"Ace, I get what you're trying to say but I was also wrong. I shouldn't have spent my free time at bars… I should have been there for you." He reached for her hand and she gave it to him. "But you're right; it was a lot for me to handle all at once. I was never a commitment guy before and then you needed me because you're going through all this… and it was hard for me to come through for you. I'm not exactly a stand-up guy, but I'm trying to change. For you," He kept his eyes on her.

Rory nodded. "I know and I love you for that. I think we can make this work. We just need to listen to each other's needs and try to see things from the other's side, you know?"

"Yeah," Logan agreed.

"Everything has been crazy these past few months, but I think everything will be okay." Rory said in a low voice. She looked down.

"Hey," Logan squeezed her hand. She looked back up. "Everything will be okay. We can get through this. I won't bail on you."

Rory trusted him. She wasn't worried about him bailing on her again. She was just anxious about Lorelai's treatments coming to an end and what that would mean. She was feeling both optimistic and pessimistic about the future.

"Okay." She whispered to let him know that she trusted him.

He smiled at her. The waitress came back with their food.

After lunch, they stood outside the restaurant to say their goodbyes. Rory was surprised when Logan carefully wrapped her in his arms.

"Are you okay?" He whispered in her ear.

She relaxed in his arms, laid her head on his shoulder. "It's just hard being away from Mom at a time like this. I'm going back now, but then I have to leave again and-." She stopped.

"I get it." He pressed a quick kiss to the top of her head.

"But I'm happy to have you back. I missed you." She admitted.

Logan chuckled. "I know, you told me that last week." He said gently. He began rubbing her back gently.

Rory was the one to pull away.

"Call me if you need to talk." He insisted.

"I will." She assured him. She leaned in and kissed him. It was a long, deep kiss.

Logan smiled softly at her and gently touched her cheek before she turned around and got in her car and headed home.

* * *

Lorelai and Luke were lying on the bed. Lorelai had just fallen asleep when she heard the front door open. She immediately opened her eyes and sat up.

"Woah," Luke was alarmed. His arm had been around her and he was tracing random patterns on her back when she sat up.

"Didn't you hear the door? Rory's home!" Lorelai exclaimed. She got out of bed as fast as she could.

Luke smiled, he was happy to see her so energetic. He followed her out of the room and downstairs.

"Rory!" Lorelai screamed as she stepped off the last stair.

"Mom!" They collided in front of the stairs.

Luke felt a tear in his eye as he watched the girls hold each other tightly.

When they finally let go of each other, Lorelai asked, "How's Yale? How Paris? How class?"

Rory laughed. "You asked all that on the phone."

"I know, I just thought I'd ask in person too." Lorelai responded.

"Well Yale is fine. Paris is also fine and all my classes are good. I'm getting back into the swing of things."

Lorelai nodded. "Have you seen Logan?"

"Yeah, I want to talk to you about that later. Did you guys eat dinner yet?"

"Nope. We were waiting for you to come home. Is there anything particular you want?" Luke answered.

Rory smiled at him. "Anything is fine."

"All right, I'll go see what we have and scrounge up something." Luke headed into the kitchen.

"Scrounge up something? Are we running low on food? Luke always makes sure we have enough food." Rory was a little confused.

"Eh, I think he's just a little tired, you know? Stressed," Lorelai frowned.

Rory's face fell. "Oh. Are you guys okay?"

"Oh don't worry, we're fine. Nothing's changed." Lorelai moved next to Rory and wrapped an arm around her. "Tell me about you, what's going on with Logan?" She guided Rory to the couch.

They sat down and Rory opened her mouth to speak but nothing came out.

"Hon?"

"Sorry. Um well Logan and I got back together. We're not on a break anymore."

"And that's a good thing, right?" Lorelai inquired. She reached out and tapped Rory's knee.

Rory gave her a tiny smile. "Yeah, it's good. I want to be with him and I believe that he's changed and he won't bail on me…" She trailed off and looked away, lost in thought.

"But something's wrong?" Lorelai asked. She touched Rory's shoulder and Rory met her gaze.

"No. It's just that it's hard for me to deal with everything with you and it's hard for him too because he has to be there for me and he's never been boyfriend material…"

"Hmm well he's committed to you now, isn't he? You wouldn't want to be with him if he wasn't committed right?" Lorelai said slowly.

Rory nodded. "He swore to me that he's trying to change for me. He wants to be with me. I trust him and I love him, I really do."

"Okay. That's good. As long as you're sure you want to be with him." Lorelai replied.

"I'm sure." Rory said simply. She smiled.

They talked while Luke made dinner. On Saturday, they visited Richard and Emily and had dinner there. Rory also visited Lane and Sookie and Jackson came by the house for a visit.

* * *

A couple weeks later, Lorelai was set to receive her last chemo treatment. It was on a Wednesday, so Rory couldn't be there, but Lorelai was a little surprised to see Emily and Richard at the hospital.

"Mom, Dad hi!" She greeted them with a smile.

"You seem surprised to see us, Lorelai." Emily pointed out.

"I'm a little surprised, yeah."

"I can't see why, you told us when you would be receiving your last treatment." Emily said.

"We wanted to be here." Richard chimed in.

"I know. It's just that you didn't tell me you could make it. I'm pleasantly surprised, don't worry." Lorelai assured.

"All right then." Emily replied with a nod.

About an hour into treatment, Luke excused himself to use the bathroom.

"Has Christopher ever been here?" Emily asked suddenly.

"You mean in the hospital while I receive treatment?"

Emily nodded.

"No." Lorelai said dryly.

"Does he at least keep in touch with Rory?"

"Yes. They talk on the phone. Why?"

"I just thought he might like to be here, for Rory." Emily answered.

"Not for me?" Lorelai responded.

"No. You have Luke. You aren't with Christopher, you're with Luke."

"You say that like it's a bad thing." Lorelai accused.

Richard wanted to say something, but Emily beat him to it.

"I didn't mean it like that. I know Luke has been here for you through all of this. He's a great man."

Lorelai blinked. She never expected to hear Emily talk about Luke like that.

"I can see that you two love each other very much. It's Rory's relationship with Christopher that I'm concerned about, not yours." Emily told her.

"Oh, well you should talk to Rory about that, not me."

"I have. She told me that he'll show up or call whenever he wants to. That was a while ago."

"Well he's never been here and I think Rory's okay with that. He still talks to her and I think she… I think she doesn't really need him to be here. She has you two." She glanced between Emily and Richard. "And she has Luke and Logan and her friends." Lorelai let out a breath. She was afraid to hear Emily's response.

"Well, I suppose that's all right. Maybe she doesn't need him." Emily said in a low voice.

"She has a good support system. We're all going to make it through this." Lorelai stared and them. "And I'm really grateful that you're both here."

Richard smiled at her and Emily managed a small smile too. "What about Luke?" She asked.

"What _about_ Luke?" Lorelai pondered.

"With the way things are going, is he going to be Rory's stepfather? Do you have plans to marry him someday?"

Lorelai wondered why Emily had thought that. It wasn't like they were engaged or anything. _Luke didn't ask Dad for my hand, did he?_

Before Lorelai could speak, Luke returned with a bottle of water. He took the seat next to Lorelai.

There was an awkward silence.

"Is everything okay?" Luke asked, looking between Lorelai and the Gilmores.

"Everything's fine, hon." Lorelai reached out and rubbed his arm.

Luke nodded. Emily and Richard stayed for another hour before leaving. On the way out, Richard stopped in front of Lorelai. He stood there for a moment and Lorelai wondered what he was thinking. He bent down and gently touched Lorelai's hand. Lorelai smiled softly. After he left, Lorelai wondered if he had wanted to hug her.

"Can you believe I'm done with chemo after this?" She asked Luke.

"No. It's feels like it's been forever, but at the same time it flew by." Luke murmured.

"I know what you mean." She reached for his hand. He threaded his finger through hers.

"I'm proud of you." He said softly.

"Proud? Why?"

"For getting through this, for staying strong, for not giving up,"

"But I didn't always stay strong. I broke down. I wanted to give up." She contended.

"But you didn't give up. You weren't always positive, but that's normal. You're strong, Lorelai." He looked into her eyes.

She believed him. "I couldn't have done it without you." She choked.

He used the pads of his thumbs to wipe at her tears. Her heart pounded as she saw the look on his face. He looked content, relieved and upset all at once.

She gripped his hand tightly.

"Lorelai? Are you okay?" Concern filled his eyes.

She nodded and smiled.

He leaned in and kissed her cheek. They sat in silence until she was finished treatment.

As they walked out of the hospital, he didn't let go of her hand. They were both felt frightened and optimistic about what was to come.

 **Author's note: Thanks for reading. Reviews are appreciated.**


	18. The Question

A few days after her final chemo treatment, Lorelai met with her oncologist to discuss the next steps. Luke came along to the appointment. After exchanging greetings, Stephanie got straight to the point:

"Good news, the chemo did exactly what it was supposed to. Your tumor has shrunk a lot."

Luke squeezed Lorelai's hand and flashed a smile at her. She returned the smile. Before she could ask what was next, Luke spoke.

"What's next, surgery?" He questioned.

Stephanie nodded. "Yes. A lumpectomy will be next."

Lorelai pressed her lips together. "When can we schedule it?"

"Well, it's best if your body has some time to recover. We usually perform the surgery anywhere from two to six weeks after chemo. With your case I'd say we should wait at least three weeks."

Lorelai nodded slowly. "Oh… so would I be able to travel or go anywhere during that time?"

Luke wondered if she was planning something.

"As long as you feel up to it and it's not too far of a trip I think that should be fine." Stephanie answered.

"So everything else is fine then? The cancer hasn't spread or anything?" Luke asked in a low voice.

"Yes, Lorelai has responded well to chemo and the cancer hasn't spread to any other organs. The outlook is good."

Luke let out a breath. He felt relieved. Now that chemo was done, they were one step closer to Lorelai being cancer free. He felt more confident that everything would work out.

Lorelai brushed the top of his hand with her fingers. They weren't out of the woods yet, but the hardest part was over.

"I'll have the hospital call when we're ready for surgery or it we need you to come in for anything else." Stephanie said.

"Thank you." Lorelai replied as she stood up.

Luke stood up and gave Stephanie a small smile and whispered "Thank you."

With a quick "Take care" and "Goodbye" from Stephanie, Luke and Lorelai left the office.

Luke took Lorelai's hand without saying anything and they walked to the truck.

Before Luke could open the passenger door, Lorelai tugged on his hand and he turned to face her. He frowned, confused. Before he could ask if something was wrong, she leaned in and pressed her lips to his. It was a long, sweet kiss. Luke's hand came to rest on her lower back and he kept it there as she pulled back.

"Love you." She grinned.

He couldn't help the smile that formed on his lips. "I love you too." He found it much easier to say those three words over the past few months. Maybe it was the thought of losing her without her knowing how much he loved her. They didn't have to say it every day, but they both liked hearing it.

Luke wrapped an arm around her, "Come on, let's get you home."

She leaned into him and he pressed a quick kiss to her temple. He opened the door and helped her into the truck.

* * *

When they got home, Lorelai called Rory, briefly forgetting that she was in class. She hung up after the first ring, praying that Rory's phone couldn't be heard in the classroom.

Rory called her back half an hour later.

"Hey Mom," She said casually.

"Rory! I'm so sorry… did I disrupt your class when I called?"

"No, my phone was buried in my bag, I barely heard it."

"Oh, thank god." Lorelai laughed a little. "So, how's class?"

"Class is fine." Rory said quickly. "Tell me how your appointment went."

"Well the chemo did its job and my tumor shrank." Lorelai said enthusiastically.

"And?" Rory prompted.

"And I'm going in for surgery in a few weeks. I get a break…"

"Oh, that's great. You definitely deserve a break." Rory said gently.

"Yeah… I don't know what we're going to do though." Lorelai said as she watched Luke make the bed. They were running late, so he didn't make it that morning.

"Maybe you should go on a trip somewhere." Rory suggested.

"Where?"

"I don't know you'll think of something, or Luke will."

"Yeah. So I'll see you at Friday night dinner?" Lorelai watched as Luke lied down on the bed.

"Yep. I'll be home around six."

"Okay. I'll see you then."

"Bye Mom. Love you."

"Love you too hon." Lorelai hung up.

Luke gestured for her to come over.

Lorelai put the phone on the dresser then walked over to stand next to the bed.

Luke patted the spot next to him. Lorelai smiled then walked over to the other side of the bed and got under the covers.

"Is it nap time?" She asked as she reached out and started running his fingers through his hair.

He just nodded and closed his eyes.

"Well I won't object to that." She said. She moved and held herself over him then leaned down and kissed his cheek.

They slept for a couple hours.

* * *

A few days later, it was Friday night dinner. Once everyone had their drinks, Richard started the conversation:

"Lorelai I," He stopped and looked at Lorelai.

Lorelai smiled, tried to encourage him.

"I am, no, your mother and I are so proud of you."

"You are?" Lorelai replied. Luke had said the same thing and she was amazed.

"Yes. You've stayed strong throughout all of this, you didn't give up. We know it must have been very hard." Richard nodded. He looked at Lorelai and saw her frowning.

"But I didn't really do anything… it was the chemo that did all the work…" Lorelai said quietly. She didn't have the heart to tell her parents that she had wanted to give up before.

Emily shook her head. "But you're strong Lorelai, I like to believe it's because we raised you that way, but it's not. You raised yourself and Rory from the time you were seventeen… you did a great job." She touched her eye, wiping at a tear.

Lorelai was a little shocked at her mother's words. She knew her parents had never exactly approved of the life she chose for herself. But she was touched that Emily had told her that she did a great job. It reminded her of when Rory went to the dance at Chilton.

"Thank you." Lorelai said gently. "Thank you for coming to my chemo sessions. It meant a lot to me to have you two there." She nodded and looked down as she felt tears threaten to fall from her eyes.

Luke squeezed her knee.

"Are you planning to do anything special before your surgery?" Richard asked to break the silence.

Luke swallowed nervously. He knew Richard was talking to Lorelai, but it reminded him of what he had been thinking about the past few days. He had been thinking about proposing sooner than he had originally planned. He was thinking it might be better to just take a leap of faith and propose before Lorelai was cancer free.

"I don't know. We haven't put much thought into it." Lorelai replied.

"Well, we received a phone call from our realtor this morning and he told us that our usually rental house on Martha's Vineyard is available now. We usually go there in the spring, so we thought you two might want to spend a week or two there."

"Me and Luke? At Martha's Vineyard?"

"Yes. Is the idea so preposterous?" Emily responded.

"Well no. What do you think hon?" Lorelai asked Luke.

"I think it sounds nice. It would be nice to relax for a little while." Luke replied.

Lorelai nodded. "All right. We'll go then. Thanks guys." She said to Emily and Richard.

"You're welcome." Richard said gently.

"We can stay there for a week and you can come down on the weekend." Lorelai said to Rory.

"Maybe, I might have a lot of school work to do. And besides it can be romantic for you two without me there." Rory raised her eyebrows.

Lorelai laughed. She wasn't expecting Rory to say that. She looked over at Luke, whose face was red which made her laugh even more.

The maid came into the room to announce that dinner was ready.

An hour later, when Luke, Lorelai and Rory were leaving, Richard hugged Rory goodbye. When he pulled away, he looked at Lorelai.

Lorelai smiled and stepped closer to him. He didn't move so Lorelai initiated the hug. It was a very brief hug.

Emily was talking to the maid when she stepped into the foyer to see Lorelai and Richard pulling apart. She smiled at the sight.

Richard gave Lorelai a small smile.

"We'll see you in a couple days so we can get the key to the house." Lorelai said.

"All right, drive safe." Emily said.

The three of them said goodbye and left.

* * *

On the drive home, Lorelai fiddled with the radio station. Rory had drove home before dinner that night so they the three of them drove over in the Jeep.

"Would you just pick a station?" Luke grumbled.

Lorelai stuck her tongue out at him and Rory giggled. She imagined them as an old bickering married couple and smiled.

Lorelai gasped suddenly.

"What?!" Luke shouted.

"Shh" Lorelai gently hit his arm.

"Well you almost gave me a heart attack." Luke lowered his voice.

Lorelai wasn't listening; she was listening to the song playing.

"There she goes, there she goes again." Lorelai started singing along.

"Racing through my brain" Rory joined in.

Normally Luke would be annoyed by their singing, but he didn't mind. He was just happy to see them happy.

A couple days later, Luke and Lorelai arrived at the house on Martha's Vineyard. It was late at night and all they wanted to do was sleep.

Luke was putting his shoes back on.

"What are you doing babe? Come to bed." Lorelai said.

"I just have to get something that I left in the truck. I'll just be a minute." He told her.

Lorelai pouted but nodded.

Luke stepped outside and hurried over to the truck. He opened the door and reached in to open the glove compartment. He kept the ring box there, under maps, a flash light and some other things. He would never expect Lorelai to open the glove compartment. He took the ring box out then closed the compartment and locked the truck.

He stood there for a minute. _Do it._ He told himself. He hadn't told Liz or Rory that he had changed his mind. _Maybe I should do it at sunset tomorrow, that'd be nice, sunset on the beach._ He thought. _Yeah,_ he smiled to himself.

Luke headed back in the house.

When Lorelai heard him come into the bedroom, she muttered: "That was longer than a minute."

"Sorry." He whispered. He had put the ring in the dresser in one of the spare bedrooms.

"It's okay. Just come here, I'm cold and I need you to warm me up." Lorelai said in a flirty tone.

Luke smirked and told her that he was going to the bathroom first.

"Okay." She replied.

He returned a few minutes later. She had rolled over and was on the side of the bed that was farther from the bathroom.

Luke took off his shirt and jeans and quickly put on his sweatpants. He slid into bed and rolled over, spooned Lorelai.

Lorelai kept her eyes shut and placed her hand on top of his. "This is nice." She said gently.

Luke kissed her shoulder. "Are you warmer now?" He asked.

"Yep," She answered simply before she turned to face him. "Hi," She whispered.

"Hi," He whispered back, leaning in to kiss her.

They kissed slowly for a few minutes.

Lorelai pulled away. "I'm not really… I can't-"She stopped.

Luke understood. "It's okay"

Lorelai smiled. She kissed him again. "Goodnight."

"'Night" He moved away a little.

She turned around and then bent her arm back, reaching for him. He wrapped an arm around her and closed his eyes.

Lorelai fell asleep in minutes while Luke's thoughts kept him up. He finally fell asleep an hour later; his last thought was of the ring on Lorelai's finger.

* * *

The next night, Luke and Lorelai ate dinner on the patio.

"Wanna walk on the beach?" Luke asked when they had finished eating.

Lorelai put a hand to her heart. "How romantic, I'd love to." She said.

Luke stood up and held out his hand to her. She grinned and took it.

He had the ring in his pocket and he was just waiting for the right moment, hoping he knew when that would be.

When they were halfway down the beach, Lorelai dropped his hand and looped her arm through his.

Luke's heart started pounding. He was feeling nervous. He was pretty sure she'd say yes, but he still had a little doubt for some reason.

Lorelai sighed happily. "The sunset is so beautiful."

 _Not as beautiful as you._ He thought. _God, when did become such a sap?_

He cleared his throat, which turned into a cough.

"You okay honey?" Lorelai patted his back.

He nodded, his heart skipped a beat as it always did when she called him a term of endearment.

They kept walking until Luke stopped.

"Luke?"

"Lorelai, I…"

Lorelai stared at him, waiting with a slight smile on her face.

"You're everything to me. I don't know where I'd be without you."

"Luke." She said gently.

"I was in a dark place before you came into my life. My dad had died a few years before and I hadn't seen Liz and Jess in a year…" He looked into her eyes. "When I met you, I knew you would be a constant in my life. I gave you coffee, but you didn't go away, you kept coming back."

She laughed softly and took his hand.

He continued. "And you were just this… big ball of sunshine. You were always so happy and quirky. Your coffee addiction annoyed me, but I couldn't get you out of my head. When I met Rory, I came to admire you. You raised her with almost no help and she's a great kid because of you. We became friends and before I realized it, I had fallen in love with you." He smiled softly at her.

"I still can't believe you're mine. These past few months have made me realize that I'm so lucky to have you. I mean I realized that before, but I know now that anything can happen and I don't want to live life with any regrets. I want us to be together for the rest of our lives, no matter how long they might be." He dropped her hand.

He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out the ring box then slowly knelt down on one knee. He opened up the ring box and held it out to her.

"Lorelai, will you marry me?"

Lorelai gasped, "Luke…"

* * *

 **Author's Note: Big cliffhanger haha!  
Thank you for all the reviews, favourites, and follows. I really appreciate it. ** **I was debating whether or not to put the "the rest of our lives, no matter how long they might be."**

 **Please let me know what you think of this chapter.**


	19. The Answer to the Question

_Lorelai gasped, "Luke…"_

Luke remained silent. He was smiling, but that smile fell as the seconds ticked by without Lorelai saying anything.

"Lorelai?"

Lorelai grinned. "Yes, yes of course I'll marry you!" She grinned.

Luke beamed. He reached for her left hand and quickly slipped the ring onto her finger. Then he got up and she immediately jumped into his arms. He chuckled and lifted her off the ground.

They just held each other for a few minutes. When Luke finally loosened his hold of her, she put her hands on his face and kissed him. He deepened the kiss and pulled her closer.

Lorelai pulled away after a few kisses and pressed her forehead to his. They stood like that for a few seconds.

"Wow, the ring is beautiful, Luke." Lorelai said as she held her hand in front of her face.

"Rory helped me pick it out." He told her.

"She did? When? I'm just so shocked. I had no idea you were going to propose." She replied, a look of pure content on her face.

Luke laughed. "Well it was supposed to be a surprise. We picked out the ring a few weeks ago, right before Rory went back to Yale." He gazed at her "You're happy, right?" He asked a little hesitantly.

"Gee I don't know I can't seem to stop smiling, what do you think?" She answered.

He smiled. "I'm glad you like the ring."

She nodded. "I love it."

He looked away. She frowned.

"Luke?"

He looked at her, a tight lipped smile played on his lips.

"You okay?" She said in a low voice.

"Yeah. I'm happy you said yes… but you hesitated and-"

She interrupted, "Oh, sorry, I was just shocked. I wasn't expecting you to purpose."

"Oh." He said gently.

She reached out and rubbed his arm. "I didn't mean that in a bad way… it's just that these past few months have been so unpredictable. I've been through hell. But the one thing that's been a constant is you."

He met her gaze.

"You have been my rock. You never left me, you comforted me and you never gave up on me. I'm happy, I'm so lucky to have you. And yes, I want to marry you. You're the one for me, Luke. I want to spend the rest of my life with you, no matter how long it might be." Her voice broke on the last sentence. He had said _'I want us to be together for the rest of our lives, no matter how long they might be.'_ She felt the same way. She wanted to marry him no matter what.

"Okay." He whispered as he pulled her back into his arms. He didn't know what else to say. He preferred to let his actions speak.

She pressed her face into his shoulder as she felt tears fall from her eyes. They were happy tears.

When they pulled apart, she smiled at him. He smiled back and pecked her lips.

"Ah! I need to call Rory and tell her!" She said suddenly.

He nodded and reached into his pocket for his cell phone, but she was already pulling hers out of her purse.

The phone only rang once before Rory picked up.

"Hey Mom, what's up? How's the trip going?"

"Luke proposed!" Lorelai shouted.

"What? Oh my god!" Rory squealed.

Lorelai thought she heard someone gasp in the background.

"I said yes of course."

"Of course," Rory responded. "Hang on a second I have to tell Logan, he thinks something is wrong."

Lorelai laughed. She looked at Luke. He winked.

"I'm back. Logan says congratulations."

"Tell him thanks."

"So how did it happen? What did he do?" Rory asked.

"Well, we were taking a walk on the beach and he stopped suddenly. He started by saying that he doesn't know where he'd be without me." Lorelai kept her eyes on Luke. She couldn't stop smiling.

"Aww, how sweet," Rory gushed.

"He had a whole speech…he said he's lucky to have me and that he wants us to be together forever. He was very romantic, I was surprised."

"You were surprised? Luke was the one who built you a chuppah, and an ice rink. He's always been romantic." Rory said bluntly.

"You're right, he is a sweetheart. He may act grumpy most of the time, but he's really a sweet romantic. He's my teddy bear." Lorelai giggled as Luke rolled his eyes.

"Yep, he's one of a kind." Rory said.

"So how are you and Logan?"

"We're good. I'm working on an assignment and he's dozing off when he should be studying."

"Oh, well I'll let you straighten that out. Oh! Luke said you helped pick out the ring?"

"Yeah. He asked me to come with him, but he was the one who saw that ring. I think he knew you'd like it without asking me what I thought of it." Rory told her.

"Oh, is that so?" Lorelai raised her eyebrows at Luke. He frowned at her.

"Yep,"

"Well I love the ring, it's gorgeous."

"That's what I said." Rory replied.

"So you kept this a secret for weeks?" Lorelai asked.

"Yes. It had to be a surprise of course. I didn't even know when Luke was going to propose."

"Well, he picked a good moment and a good place, sunset on the beach." Lorelai said.

"I'm so happy for you two." Rory sighed.

"Thanks hon. I couldn't be happier."

"Good. Well, I better let you get back to your evening. Who knows, maybe Luke has something else planned."

"Maybe," Lorelai answered. "I'll call you tomorrow."

"Okay. Goodnight."

"Night." Lorelai ended the call. She put her phone back in her purse.

"How's Rory?" Luke asked.

"She's really happy for us. She told me that you were the one who picked out the ring, you saw it first."

"Yeah," Luke said simply.

Lorelai just smirked. She grasped his hand and squeezed it then let go.

"Oh! We should get a picture to remember this moment!" She exclaimed.

"We don't have a camera." He said.

"My phone has a camera. We just have to find someone to take the picture." She looked around and spotted a young couple and a baby in the distance.

"Come on." She grabbed his hand and they started walking over to them.

When they got there, Lorelai started the conversation.

"Hi! We were just wondering if you could take a picture of us?"

The boy and girl looked at each other than Lorelai and Luke. They appeared to be no older than eighteen.

"Sure." The girl was holding the baby and she passed her to the boy.

Lorelai held out her cell phone.

"Oh, we have a camera. We could take the picture and email it to you if you want… if you have an email address that is." The girl mumbled.

"Oh, yeah that would be better. My phone doesn't really take good quality pictures." Lorelai replied. She dug a business card out of her purse. She couldn't remember the last time she cleaned out her purse.

"Great." The girl said with a smile. She pulled a camera out of her sweater pocket and gestured for Luke and Lorelai to pose.

Lorelai moved to Luke's side. He wrapped an arm around her and she rested a on hand on his hip and the other on his chest. They both smiled.

"Got it," The girl said a few seconds later.

"Thank you." Lorelai said sweetly.

"No problem." The girl smiled.

"How old is she?" Lorelai gestured to the baby.

"Almost one," The boy said.

"She's adorable." Lorelai said.

"Thanks." The girl said gently.

Lorelai thanked them again and they said their goodbyes.

* * *

After Rory hung up the phone, Logan told her he would have to be getting back to his apartment soon.

"Aw, leaving so soon?" Rory pouted.

"Well, you said I need to study for my test tomorrow."

"You can't keep doing that here?"

"No. You'll distract me too much."

"Distract you?" She pretended to gasp. "I've been doing my assignment the whole time you've been here."

"Yes, but just being in the same room as you distracts me. I can't focus."

Rory was sitting at her desk, Logan was on a chair. He got up and walked over to stand behind her. He bent down and kissed her neck.

"Logan." She groaned.

He laughed. "Who's distracting who now?"

"Okay, okay. Maybe you should go." She said.

Logan started walking to the door.

"Wait! I need a goodbye kiss!" Rory called out. She got out of her chair.

He turned around. She wrapped her arms around him and pressed her lips to his.

They kissed a few times, neither of them wanted to stop.

Rory finally pulled away and took a step back.

"See you tomorrow." She said gently.

"See ya Ace."

"I love you."

He smiled. "I love you too."

She wanted to ask him if he was sure, but decided not to. _He did smile; I think he's pretty sure._ She told herself.

Logan opened the door and left.

Rory went to close her door, but Paris walked into her bedroom.

"Paris I can't talk right now, I have to finish my assignment."

"Oh." Paris sounded disappointed.

"Did you want to talk about something?"

"I just haven't seen you very much in the past few days. I was wondering how your mom is doing." Paris said.

"Oh." Rory was touched that Paris cared so much. "She's good. She and Luke just got engaged actually."

"Luke?"

"Her boyfriend, well fiancé now I guess. He owns the diner in Stars Hollow. You met him once, remember?"

"Hmm. No I don't remember. That's nice though, that she's engaged."

"It is." Rory smiled.

"And what about the other stuff?" Paris asked hesitantly.

"Oh um well I already told you that she's done chemo and she's having surgery in a few weeks, nothing's changed there."

Paris nodded "Okay. That's good."

"Hey, do you want to do something tomorrow?" Rory asked.

"Like what?" Paris asked.

"I don't know maybe go see a movie or something?"

"Why are you offering?"

"I don't know. I've been spending a lot of time with Logan recently and I feel like I'm being a bad friend to you. And I go home every weekend."

"You have to go home every weekend, your mom needs you."

"Yeah, but I spend every other minute in class or doing homework or sleeping, or with Logan. I think we should do something, have fun." Rory shrugged.

"Okay, I guess we could do something tomorrow. I don't know what though." Paris deadpanned.

"We'll think of something tomorrow." Rory assured her.

"Okay. I'll let you get back to your assignment."

"Okay. Goodnight Paris."

Paris left the room and Rory closed the door behind her.

* * *

Later that night, Luke and Lorelai lied snuggled in bed.

Lorelai held her hand up to the light. She couldn't stop staring at the ring.

Luke took her hand in his suddenly. He brought it to his mouth and kissed it.

She giggled. "I can't believe we're engaged."

"It only took us about ten years to get here." He said in a low voice.

She smiled, remembering how he had said it had only taken eight years to go on a date.

"I'm gonna have to tell my parents, but that can wait until we go back home I think." She murmured.

"Yeah I guess it can wait. I might call Liz tomorrow though to let her know. I told her that I was going to propose."

"Okay." Lorelai said simply. She didn't mind Liz knowing. As long as it didn't spread around town like wildfire. "Oh! And I've got to call Sookie tomorrow. She'll be thrilled." She added.

Luke nodded. They were silent for a couple minutes.

"Hey babe?" Lorelai broke the silence.

"Hmm?"

"That couple on the beach today…that could have been me and Christopher."

"What?" Luke didn't like that she had brought up Christopher.

"I mean they were young, no older than eighteen probably and they had a baby. And I think they were married."

"They were married?" Luke didn't notice that.

"Yeah, she had two rings on her ring finger. Christopher and I were supposed to get married when I found out I was pregnant." She said gently.

"But you didn't want to marry him." Luke said gruffly.

"No. I didn't want to get married, at least not at sixteen. And I didn't really want to marry Chris. I mean sure, we may have thought we were soulmates when we were kids, but we're not a good match." She sighed.

Luke's brow furrowed. She sounded regretful. "Do you um… do you regret it? Not marrying him?"

"What? No, of course not… he's Rory's dad and I'll always love him, but it's a different kind of love. My love for you is different. I'm in love with you, I don't know if I was ever really in love with Chris. I want to marry you. Chris and I were never meant to be. You and I are meant to be." She kissed the spot below his ear.

A shiver ran through his body. He took a breath. "I'm glad you feel that way."

"Like you didn't already know that," She rolled her eyes.

"I guess I did." He teased.

It was silent again before Lorelai spoke, "You're going to be Rory's stepdad." She said gently.

Luke just smiled.

"I know you love her like a daughter and it's one of the things I love most about you." She moved closer to him and put her head on his chest.

"You've told me that before." He muttered. His eyes were starting to close. He was tired.

"Oh yeah, that's right." She whispered.

He didn't open his eyes.

"Goodnight." She kissed his cheek, held her lips there a second longer.

"Night," He whispered.

She moved off him but stayed close.

Soon, Luke started snoring softly. Lorelai watched him sleep. She reached out and touched his jawline then his cheek.

She liked watching him sleep. He looked so peaceful. He hadn't shaved in about a week and his beard was getting long but she didn't mind, she liked the way his beard tickled her face when they kissed.

She watched him for a few more minutes then rolled over, turned off the light and closed her eyes. Suddenly, she felt more certain then she had ever felt before, everything was going to be okay. She was going to marry the man she loved and she felt like nothing could bring her down now.

* * *

 **Author's note: Thank you for reading. Reviews are appreciated.**


	20. Happiness

The next morning, Luke woke up and looked over at Lorelai. She was still asleep. He smiled and rolled over, reaching out to put his arm around her waist.

Lorelai awoke to the touch of Luke's lips on her shoulder. She smiled to herself before she turned around to face him.

"Good morning." She said gently.

"Morning," Luke smiled softly.

"How'd you sleep?" She asked.

"Like a rock. You?" He responded.

"Great." She pulled her arm out from under the sheets. Holding her hand out in front of her face, she whispered: "It wasn't a dream."

"Nope, we're engaged."

Lorelai grinned, "I can call you my fiancé instead of my boyfriend now."

Luke just shrugged.

It was silent for a minute.

"Come here." Luke said gruffly.

Lorelai moved, laid her head on his chest.

Luke kissed the top of her head.

"What time is it?" Lorelai asked.

Luke tilted his head to look at the clock on the nightstand. "It's ten." He told her.

"Wow, we slept in late." She murmured.

"Mmm hmm,"

She sighed happily. "Are we just gonna lie here all day and have a lazy day? I'd totally be okay with that."

Luke took a few seconds to respond. "Hmm? No. We'll get up soon… just not yet."

"Okay." She whispered before she closed her eyes.

"What do you want for breakfast?" He asked a few minutes later.

"Um… an omelette and coffee,"

He nodded, pressed another kiss to the top of her head then started to move.

She pinned him down and kissed down his chest. He'd slept without a shirt. She pulled away and he got up slowly.

Luke smiled at her, his eyes shining. She grinned back, feeling happier than she had in months. They headed downstairs to the kitchen.

* * *

After breakfast, they sat in the living room.

"What do you want to do today?" Luke asked.

"Hmm… I don't know. Is there anything you want to do?" Lorelai replied.

"No, not really,"

Lorelai picked up the pamphlet that was on the table. She skimmed it.

"Ooh, we can go to Chappaquiddick Island!" She said excitedly.

"Chapa what island?"

"Chappaquiddick Island," Lorelai repeated, sure that she was pronouncing it wrong. "It's got a Japanese garden that looks beautiful, see" She pointed at the picture in the pamphlet.

Luke nodded. "Sure, we can go there, we have to take a ferry."

"Okay. Let's go." Lorelai grinned. She stood up, grabbed her purse and slipped her shoes on.

Luke put his shoes and jacket on and picked up his wallet and keys. Lorelai was halfway out the door when he called out:

"Hey, you're forgetting something." He gestured to her baseball cap and her head scarf which we sitting on the table.

"Nah, I've decided to go bare today. No hat, not scarf, nothing." She told him.

"You sure?" He asked a little hesitantly.

She nodded. "Yes."

"All right," He smiled.

"Come on." She reached for his hand.

He gave her his hand and they were on their way.

A little while later, they arrived and drove over to the garden. They started walking through the garden, arm in arm.

"This is really nice." Lorelai breathed.

"Yeah," Luke agreed. He noticed that a few of the other tourists were looking at Lorelai. His brow furrowed. _Why can't people just be polite?_ He thought.

"Luke?"

He didn't hear what Lorelai just said. "Sorry, what did you say?"

"I said I don't care about people looking at me."

"But it's rude."

"I know, but I would probably stare too. It's not a common site, a bald woman." She whispered.

Luke just groaned.

Lorelai squeezed his hand, "its fine hon."

He moved his arm and wrapped it around her shoulders, almost as if to protect her from the stares.

She leaned into him. They kept walking until they found an empty bench.

"You know, this would have been a nice place to propose too." Lorelai teased.

Luke smirked and rubbed her arm. "Yeah, but there would probably be a lot more people, I'm glad there was only a couple people on the beach."

"And why is that?" She inquired.

"Because if there were a lot of people around I would be a lot more nervous than I already was and they would all clap and cheer when you said yes and I just wanted it to be more of a private celebration, you know?"

"Yeah, I get it." She smiled and turned her head to face him.

He was looking at the scenery and didn't notice that she was facing him.

She rubbed his leg to get him to look at her. He met her gaze. She raised her eyebrows and leaned in to kiss him.

The kiss was short and sweet.

"Come on." She said when they broke apart. She stood up and held her hand out to him.

He got up and took her hand. They continued walking through the garden. Lorelai shivered suddenly.

"Want my jacket?" Luke was wearing a flannel and his green army jacket.

"No. I'll be fine." Lorelai replied. She had forgotten to bring her jacket. She was only wearing a thin cardigan over her t-shirt.

Lorelai shivered again.

"Take it." Luke said as he slipped off his jacket. He draped it over her shoulders.

"Thanks babe." She said gently. She passed him her purse to hold while she put her arms into his jacket. She took her purse back and took his hand again.

She put her other hand to her mouth. "Oh my gosh, does this mean we're going steady now? Since you gave your jacket, Butch?" She said in a valley girl accent.

Luke rolled his eyes. "I think we went steady a long time ago… and we are engaged, remember?" He teased.

She winked at him. "How could I forget?"

He just smirked.

* * *

After they ate dinner that night, Lorelai walked behind Luke and wrapped her arms around him. He was putting the leftovers in the fridge. Luke closed the fridge and placed his hands on top of hers. Lorelai started kissing his neck.

"Lorelai," He groaned.

"What? Can't a girl kiss her fiancé's neck?" She mumbled between kisses.

Luke turned around slowly. He looked down at her. She met his eyes. They moved at the same time and their lips met in a tender kiss.

Lorelai deepened the kiss and took his bottom lip between hers and nibbled it. He moaned and broke the kiss.

She ran her hands up and down his back. "Luke, let's go upstairs." She said seductively.

"Are you sure?" He looked at her. They had only made love once since she started chemo.

"Yes." She answered simply.

That was enough for him. He put a hand on the small ofher back and led her upstairs.

Once they were in the bedroom, Lorelai unbuttoned her jeans. Luke reached out and pulled her to him. He pressed his lips to hers.

She smiled against his lips and kissed him until the need for oxygen became too much. He reached down and helped her take off her jeans. She quickly unbuttoned his flannel and tugged at his t-shirt.

He lifted his arms so she could remove his shirt. Lorelai pulled away and took off her own shirt. She looked down suddenly, feeling self-conscious.

"You're beautiful." He whispered. He never wanted her to feel unattractive.

Lorelai bit her lip. She unclasped her bra, but didn't let it fall to the floor. "After the surgery… I won't be as beautiful." She said quietly.

"You will." He tried to assure her. He reached out and gently pushed her hands away. His hands removed her bra.

He pressed his lips to her neck and kissed her softly. She moaned.

"Luke,"

He stopped kissing her neck. She put a hand on his cheek and closed her eyes. He pressed his forehead to hers before her leaned in and kissed her.

After a few passionate kisses, Luke pulled away and took a step back. He stepped out of his jeans then pulled her back to him.

She rested her head on his shoulder.

"You still want to?" He asked gently.

A few seconds passed before she lifted her head. She kissed him to show him that she still wanted to. He wrapped his arms around her tightly and lifted her.

She gasped, not expecting it. He chuckled and carried her over to the bed. Once she was lying on the bed, she reached for him and he took his hand in hers, lacing his fingers through hers.

He held himself above her, looking into her eyes. She smiled softly and waited for his kiss.

Afterwards, they were silent. They remained close to each other, but they weren't touching.

"Lorelai? You okay?" He was worried that he had hurt her.

"I'm just thinking."

"About what?"

"Us,"

"Good things?"

"Of course," She beamed, moving to snuggle up to him.

He gently pulled her on top of him.

She giggled. "You know, I've never loved another man as much as I love you." Her tone suggested that it was a question.

He blinked, not knowing what to say.

She pressed her lips together. "It's okay; I know I leave you speechless."

He grinned. She kissed him then kissed him again.

* * *

The next few days flew by and Luke and Lorelai were now on their way back to Stars Hollow. Lorelai fell asleep, her head against a pillow on the window. Luke pulled into the driveway and looked over at her. He didn't want to wake her up.

Rory suddenly came from inside the house. It was a Saturday, but Luke and Lorelai didn't know that she'd be home to greet them. Luke quickly got out of the truck and shut the door as quietly as he could.

"Luke! Hi! How was the trip?" Rory sounded excited.

"Hey Rory, the trip was great." He pointed to the truck. "Your mom fell asleep during the drive and I don't want to wake her up but we need to get her inside."

"Oh, um well you could carry her maybe?" Rory suggested.

"Yeah, I guess so." Luke replied.

They walked over to the passenger side of the truck. Rory opened the door slowly. Luke reached in and unbuckled Lorelai's seatbelt. He looked at her and tried to think of a way to pick her up without waking her. Rory leaned in and gently touched Lorelai's left hand. She was looking at the ring.

"So I guess you don't have to resize the ring then. It fits perfectly."

Luke smiled. "Yeah I was a little surprised at that."

He bent down and put one arm under Lorelai's legs and the other around her upper back. After struggling a little bit, he managed to get her out of the car. She stirred in his arms.

Lorelai opened her eyes. She immediately saw Luke looking down at her. Realizing she was in Luke's arms, she frowned and muttered, "Um hon, why are you carrying me?"

"You fell asleep on the drive home and I didn't want to wake you so I thought I'd carry you in."

"Oh… that's sweet but I'm awake now so I can walk."

Luke set her down gently.

"Mom!" Rory tackled Lorelai in a hug.

Lorelai gasped, not seeing Rory beforehand. She squeezed Rory back.

"I missed you."

"I missed you too sweets."

Rory pulled back. "You have to tell me all about the trip."

"I did, on the phone." Lorelai laughed.

"I know, but it's different in person." Rory said.

Lorelai nodded. "Okay, but can I wait until tomorrow? I'm exhausted."

"Of course, come on, let's go in."

Luke went to the back of the truck to get their bags while Lorelai and Rory headed inside.

"I thought you'd be at Yale this weekend." Lorelai said.

"I wanted to surprise you and I was already in town for Friday night dinner so I stayed at Grandma and Grandpa's house last night."

"How are they?" Lorelai asked. She had only talked to them once on the phone while they were at the Vineyard.

"They're good. Grandma's been really busy with D.A.R stuff and Grandpa just got back from a business trip."

They stepped inside and took off their shoes. Rory walked Lorelai to the bottom of the stairs.

"I'll see you in the morning. I'm glad you had a great trip." Rory said.

Lorelai grinned. "It was really great." She held up her left hand.

Rory couldn't help but smile. "I'm so happy for you and Luke."

"I know." Lorelai sighed happily. "I'll tell you more about our trip in the morning… but you're going back to Yale tomorrow, right?"

Rory nodded. "But I'm not going to leave until the afternoon."

They heard the front door open and close as Luke came in.

"Are you gonna ask Luke about the details of the proposal?" Lorelai asked with a smile.

"Maybe," Rory smiled back and shrugged nonchalantly.

"He missed you too you know." Lorelai said gently.

"And I missed him."

Lorelai leaned in and kissed Rory's cheek. "All right, I'm heading to bed. Goodnight hon. Don't keep Luke up too late."

"Goodnight mom, sweet dreams."

Lorelai went upstairs.

Luke came into the living room as Rory was making her way over to him.

"Mom went to bed."

Luke nodded. "How's Yale?"

"Fine. I'm keeping up with my classes all right."

He set the bags down. "Did you eat dinner yet?"

"Yeah. There's leftover Chinese food in the fridge."

"Thanks, we stopped to eat on the way home." He sat down on the couch.

Rory walked over and sat next to him. "I'm so happy that you and Mom are engaged."

"Thanks kid."

"So what made you change your mind? Why did you propose now?"

"Well, I didn't want to wait. I didn't want to have any regrets I guess. I mean we don't know what's going to happen… but I want to marry her no matter what." He replied.

Rory nodded slowly. "Mom told me that you were so romantic." She laughed when she saw the look on Luke's face. "She said you had this whole speech, what did you say?"

"I don't really remember much of it."

"Luke!"

He chuckled. "I just told her that she's everything to me… that I am so lucky to have her. I would be lost without her." He became lost in his thoughts. He knew that it was true; he didn't know where he'd be without Lorelai. He'd probably be going through life day by day, never truly happy. She had really changed his life and he was so thankful that they had found each other.

"That's so sweet." Rory felt herself tear up. She glanced at Luke and swore that she saw a tear in his eye too. "Luke." She said to get his attention.

He looked at her.

"Mom and I are so lucky to have you… I hope you know that."

Luke just nodded. He cleared his throat, "I think I'm going to head to bed."

"Okay. Goodnight."

"Night," Luke stood up.

Rory got up and smiled at Luke before she headed to her bedroom.

Luke picked up the luggage and walked upstairs.

He found Lorelai fast asleep. After placing the bags on the floor, he went into the bathroom. He brushed his teeth and got ready for bed.

The bedroom light was off, so he felt his way to the bed. Once in bed, placed an arm over her and closed his eyes. He was asleep in minutes.

* * *

 **Author's note: Thanks for reading. I've never been to Martha's Vineyard, but I researched it. I wanted to give Luke and Lorelai something to do…  
Reviews are appreciated. **


	21. The Next Step

After breakfast the next morning, Lorelai filled Rory in on the details of the trip. Rory asked Lorelai and Luke how they would announce their engagement.

"Well, I don't want it to spread around town" Lorelai answered. "I have to tell my parents first, and Sookie. And oh, we should call Mia to tell her."

Luke agreed. "Sounds like a plan."

Lorelai called Emily and Richard and asked them if it would be okay for her and Luke to come over that afternoon. Emily told her that would be fine.

"We can't let Babette or Patty know yet, they'll spread it around town." Lorelai muttered as the three of them walked out the front door.

Rory glanced over at Babette and Morey's house, hoping she wouldn't find them sitting on their porch. They weren't there.

When they arrived at Sookie and Jackson's house, Lorelai told Luke he could call Mia to tell her.

"You don't want to be the one to tell her?" Luke asked.

"I don't mind you being the one to tell her. You've known her longer. I have to be the one to tell Sookie."

Luke nodded. He pulled out his cell phone and looked around to make sure no one was walking around listening.

Lorelai knocked on the door and she and Rory waited for Sookie or Jackson to answer.

Jackson came to the door, "Lorelai! Rory! What a nice surprise! Come on in!"

Rory and Lorelai smiled and stepped inside. Lorelai kept her left hand in a fist; she didn't want Sookie or Jackson to notice the ring before she told them.

"Is Sookie here?" Lorelai asked.

"Yeah. She's just upstairs changing Martha." Jackson replied.

Lorelai nodded. "How are the kids?"

"Fine. Two kids are hard to keep up with but we're managing."

They all took seats in the living room.

"Sookie tells me that you and Luke were at Martha's Vineyard?"

"Yep. We had a great time. It was nice to relax." Lorelai replied.

Sookie came downstairs, carrying Martha. It took a few seconds for her to notice Lorelai and Rory.

"You're back! How was the trip?"

Lorelai grinned. "It was wonderful. The most amazing thing happened there."

"Oh my gosh what?" Sookie asked.

"Guess."

"Mom," Rory groaned. "Just tell her."

"That's no fun." Lorelai pouted.

"Just tell me. I'm no good at guessing." Sookie said.

"All right. Drum roll please." Lorelai looked at Rory.

Rory rolled her eyes.

"Fine no drum roll." Lorelai sighed and looked at Sookie. She lifted her left hand slowly. "Luke proposed and I said yes!" She held her hand out.

Sookie let out a high pitched scream which caused Martha to burst into tears. "Oh no, I'm sorry sweetie."

Jackson stood up and held out his arms, offering to take Martha. Sookie smiled at him then handed Martha to him. "Congratulations." Jackson told Lorelai before he left the room.

Before Lorelai could stand up, Sookie was squealing and rushing over to give her a hug. They only hugged for a few seconds before Sookie pulled away, "Let me see the ring!"

Lorelai held her hand out and Sookie took it gently. "Oh my gosh it's gorgeous." Sookie gushed.

"I know. Rory went with Luke to pick it out, but he was the one who chose it."

Sookie grinned and gestured for Rory to stand up. When Rory did, Sookie pulled her into a hug.

"Oh," Rory gasped, not expecting it.

Sookie pulled back, "I feel like I haven't seen you in forever. How's Yale?"

"Yale's fine." Rory responded.

"And how's your boyfriend, Logan right?"

Rory nodded. "He's good, he's graduating this year."

They sat back down and chatted. Sookie informed Lorelai about the happenings of the Inn.

"My surgery isn't scheduled yet so I was thinking I might come in for a few hours each day." Lorelai said.

"Sure, if you're up to it." Sookie said.

"I am. I'll come in tomorrow morning." Lorelai decided to change the subject. "I have to tell you about the trip. It was so beautiful there, Sook. The beach was nice but we also went to this Japanese garden…"

* * *

Meanwhile, Luke called Mia. The phone rang four times before Mia answered.

"Hello?"

"Hey Mia, it's Luke. How are you?"

"Hello Lucas. I'm well thank you. How are you and Lorelai?"

"We're fine. Better than fine actually… I asked Lorelai to marry me and she said yes." Luke grinned.

"Oh that's wonderful. I talked to Lorelai on the phone last week. She told me that you were going to Martha's Vineyard. Did you propose there?" Mia replied.

"Yeah, on the beach," Luke said gently.

"Oh how nice."

"Yeah,"

It was silent for a few moments before Mia said: "Lorelai also told me that she's done chemo and having surgery soon."

"Um yeah, we don't know that date of the surgery yet though."

"All right, call me when you know."

"I will. Bye Mia."

"Bye dear."

Luke put his cell phone back in his pocket and walked up to the door and knocked.

Inside the house, Sookie, Lorelai and Rory heard the knock.

"Oh that's probably Luke. He was calling Mia." Lorelai said.

Sookie got up to open the door for him. After she opened the door, Luke didn't have time to greet her before she pulled on his arm. Once he was inside, she threw her arms around him.

"Congratulations!" She shrieked.

It took Luke a second to reciprocate the hug. He was reminded of the time she hugged him after he told her that he and Lorelai had kissed.

"Thanks." He said quietly.

When they pulled apart, Sookie took hold of his arm again and pulled him to a chair.

"I want to hear all about the proposal from your point of view." She said excitedly.

Luke glanced at Lorelai who shrugged. Luke started to tell Sookie about the proposal.

* * *

A couple hours later, Lorelai, Rory and Luke were at the Gilmore's. Rory still had some time before she had to head back to Yale, so she decided to come along. The maid opened the door. Lorelai didn't recognise her; she figured they must have hired a new maid since they visited.

"Hi. I'm Emily and Richard's daughter and this is my daughter and my boyfriend." Lorelai greeted her.

Luke noticed that she had said 'boyfriend' but he figured she didn't want Emily to overhear the word 'fiancé.

"Oh yes of course, Miss Gilmore was here last night." The maid said gesturing to Rory. "Come on in."

"Shannon, who's at the door?" Emily's voice carried through the foyer.

"Hi Mom," Lorelai said as Emily appeared.

"Oh, hello Lorelai, Rory and Luke, I almost forgot you were visiting.

"Well I wanted to tell you something. Can we sit down?" Lorelai kept her left hand out of Emily's line of vision.

"Your father's in his office. Should I get him? Is this something he should know too?"

"Yes." Lorelai answered simply.

Emily gestured for them to sit in the living room then walked away.

Once they were seated, Shannon asked them if they would like a drink.

"Oh no we're fine." Lorelai glanced at Rory and Luke to confirm. They agreed.

Shannon left. Emily and Richard walked into the room a few minutes later.

"How was your trip?" Richard asked as he took his seat.

"Great. Thanks for letting us stay at the house. It was nice to get away and relax for a bit." Lorelai replied.

"It was very nice. Thank you." Luke chimed in.

"Did Shannon ask if you wanted a drink?" Emily questioned.

"She did, don't worry Mom. Sit, we have something to tell you remember."

"All right," Emily muttered. She took a seat next to Richard.

"So," Lorelai took a deep breath.

"Is everything all right?" Richard sounded concerned.

Luke gave Lorelai a look that said 'just tell them'.

"Well at the Vineyard, on the beach, Luke asked me to marry him and I said yes." Lorelai held up her left hand, grinning.

"Oh," Emily said gently.

"This is a good thing." Lorelai muttered almost as if to remind them of the fact. She knew that things were better between her parents and Luke; she just didn't expect this reaction.

"That's wonderful, congratulations." Richard said sincerely.

"Thanks Dad." Lorelai smiled but kept her eyes on her mother.

"Yes, it is. I'm very happy for you… for the both of you." Emily said slowly.

"Are you sure about that?" Lorelai frowned.

"What do you mean? Of course I'm sure." Emily huffed.

"Because I know you haven't always been okay with Luke and me… I mean you haven't been supportive of our relationship."

Luke put his hand on Lorelai's knee, trying to calm her.

"Yes, in the past I wasn't very supportive and I apologise for that. But I've seen how supportive of you he is and how much he cares for you and Rory. I know you love each other very much. You're happy and I'm happy for you."

Lorelai believed her. "Okay. Thank you… it's just you had a bit of a delayed reaction and you looked upset."

"I just wasn't excepting that announcement."

"What were you expecting?"

"Lorelai, we're happy for you and Luke. Can't we just leave it at that?" Richard asked.

"I guess."

There was an uncomfortable silence. Rory spoke up:

"Hey Grandpa, I'm going back to Yale in a bit and I wanted to ask you if you have a certain book that I need for class."

"Certainly, what book is it?"

Rory gave him a look, hoping he would understand that she was trying to give Emily and Lorelai some time alone.

"Why don't we go look for it?" Richard took the hint.

Rory smiled and she and Richard left the room.

"Uh I'll go wait in the car." Luke said quickly. He pressed a quick kiss to Lorelai's forehead then left.

"Lorelai listen," Emily said then stopped.

Lorelai just looked at her.

"I just didn't know whether to expect good news or bad news. I just wasn't expecting an engagement announcement so soon."

"Oh." Lorelai looked away. She didn't know what to say.

"I'm sorry… since your diagnosis I just keep imagining what else can go wrong. I should try to stay positive but I can't." Emily admitted.

"Well that's normal Mom. I have thoughts like that too. It's hard to stay strong. But the odds of me beating this are pretty high. After surgery, I'll have radiation then as long as nothing goes wrong, I'll be cancer free." Lorelai said slowly.

Emily pursed her lips. "You're not planning the wedding now are you?"

Lorelai knitted her brows. "No, of course not, that would be way too stressful.

"All right then." Emily breathed a sigh of relief.

Lorelai thought for a few seconds. "When we do plan the wedding, would you like to be involved?"

Emily stared at her. "Would you be okay with me being involved?"

"Yes. That's why I asked." Lorelai remembered how upset Emily was when she wasn't involved in the wedding planning for her and Max.

Emily's eyes were shiny, she looked as if she were about to cry. "I would like to be involved." She said.

"Good. I'll let you know when we start planning… and I'll let you know when I get the date for my surgery." Lorelai stood up.

"Lorelai, wait a minute." Emily said before Lorelai could walk away.

Lorelai turned.

"Thank you."

Lorelai knew what her mother was thanking her for. For talking to her and for promising to let her be involved in the wedding planning.

"You're welcome." Lorelai whispered. She walked over to Emily.

Emily stared at her before she reached out. Lorelai was the one to initiate a hug, surprising herself and Emily. It was a very quick hug, neither of them exactly comfortable with a longer hug.

Lorelai smiled softly before she turned and left the room. After she was out of sight, Emily reached into her pocket and pulled out a tissue to wipe at the tears on her face.

Lorelai found Rory and Richard in his office.

"Logan and I were talking about maybe going to Asia a couple days after Christmas, but I don't know… I'll have to see how Mom's doing then." Rory was saying.

Lorelai stayed out of sight. The door was open, but she couldn't see them from where she was standing. She knew it was rude to eavesdrop, but she didn't walk away.

"Well that sounds nice. I understand that your mother is your priority, but I think it's important to take care of yourself too, relax and have fun too." Richard replied.

"Yeah, you're right. We'll just have to see though." Rory muttered.

Lorelai bit her lip. She hated that Rory wasn't putting herself first. She understood it, but she also felt a little guilty and remorseful.

Rory and Richard were silent, so Lorelai walked back towards the living room to make it look like she was just coming their way now.

Just as she turned around and started walking back towards the office, Richard and Rory were walking towards her.

"Hey kid, ready to leave?" Lorelai asked.

"Yep," Rory responded. She gave Richard a hug then the three of them walked to the foyer. Emily was standing there, appearing to have been waiting for them.

"Bye Grandma." Rory hugged Emily too.

"Bye Rory. Drive safe."

Lorelai said a quick goodbye to her parents then the two of them were out the door.

"Are you and Grandma okay?" Rory asked as they walked to the Jeep.

"We're fine, don't worry hon."

Rory gave her a small smile. They got in the Jeep, Lorelai in the passenger side and Rory in the back.

Luke looked over at Lorelai after she had put her seatbelt on. "Everything okay?"

"Yep," She answered and leaned over to kiss his cheek.

Luke started the Jeep and they headed home. Once they got home, Rory got her bags and packed her car. She said goodbye to Lorelai and Luke and left.

Babette came outside and the three of them chatted for a bit before Lorelai mentioned the engagement. Babette hugged them both and Lorelai told her it was okay to spread the news.

* * *

A couple weeks later, the day of Lorelai's lumpectomy came. At the hospital, before she was taken in to prep for the surgery, she talked to her loved ones.

Emily and Richard told that everything would be okay and they both squeezed her hand gently.

Luke pulled her into a hug. "I love you." He whispered in her ear.

Lorelai pressed her face into his chest. He let her go when she lifted her head.

"I love you too." She told him. He gave her a peck on the lips.

Rory and Lorelai both reached for each other.

"Everything's going to be fine." Rory whispered.

Lorelai wanted to say 'I know' but she didn't.

"Love you." Rory said when she pulled away.

"I love you too."

Rory kissed her mother's cheek.

Lorelai took once last glance at her family before the nurse lead her away.

Thirty minutes later, after Lorelai's surgery had started, Logan appeared.

Luke was sitting a chair away from Rory and he leaned over and tapped her arm as she wasn't looking the right way. She looked up and gasped when she saw Logan. He held out his arms and she walked into them.

"I thought you had a class?" She said.

"I left early. I wanted to be here for you."

"But-" Rory started.

Logan put a finger to her lips. "No buts. I want to be here with you."

Rory just smiled and kissed his cheek. "Thank you."

"You don't need to thank me Ace."

They sat down. Five minutes later, Christopher showed up.

Emily was the first one to see him. "Christopher, nice to see you," She said flatly.

"Hi Emily, Richard," Christopher looked at them before he looked at Rory.

Rory stood up and walked up to him. "You came." She said in a low voice. She had told him the date of the surgery.

Christopher looked at Luke briefly before he answered Rory. "I wanted to be here, for you and your Mom. Is she already in surgery?"

"Yeah, they should have started a few minutes ago." Rory said slowly.

Christopher didn't say anything.

"I'm glad you came." Rory wrapped her arms around him.

Chris held her close and kissed the top of her head. He sat on Rory's other side.

It was silent as they waited. Luke broke the silence by asking anyone if they wanted a drink or snack.

"A coffee with a little bit of cream would be nice, thank you." Emily said.

"I'll take a black coffee." Richard said.

"I'm good." Logan and Rory both said.

Christopher remained silent.

"You?" Luke asked him.

"Ah, no thanks I'm fine."

Luke nodded and left. When he returned fifteen minutes later, they were still silent. He handed Emily and Richard their coffees, he got a tea for himself.

"I don't think Mom would want us to be all nervous and silent like this." Rory muttered.

"I agree." Luke said. "And there's nothing to worry about." He added.

"It's a standard procedure… I looked it up on the internet." Said Richard,

"That's right, he showed me." Emily added.

Rory smiled, amused at the thought of Emily and Richard using the internet.

Christopher cleared his throat. They all looked at him. "Um, I don't believe we've been properly introduced." He said to Logan.

"Uh we kind of met before." Logan said quietly.

"But that wasn't a proper meeting."

"Right…"

Rory decided to not let things get too awkward. "Logan, this is my dad Christopher, Dad, my boyfriend Logan."

"I'd shake your hand but…" Logan gestured to Rory, who was sitting between him and Chris.

"That's all right." Christopher said. "Tell me, what are your intentions with my daughter?"

Logan was taken aback.

Christopher laughed. "I was kidding."

Luke glared at him. He didn't think it was funny. _You're gonna act like a fathe now of all times?_ He thought.

The six of them chatted about Yale, Logan's interests and other simple topics like the weather. Luke looked at his watch.

"The surgery should be done by now." He said looking towards the end of the hall.

"Do you know how long it usually takes?" Richard asked.

"Yeah, her oncologist said it should take no more than forty to forty five minutes. They're probably moving her into the recovery room now."

They waited ten more minutes before they all started to silently worry that something had gone wrong. Luke stood up abruptly and walked away.

Rory frowned. She figured he was just going to the bathroom, but she was worried about him.

* * *

 **Author's not: I'm leaving it there on a cliff-hanger again…  
Thank you for reading, reviewing, favouriting and following this story. As always, reviews are appreciated. **


	22. Relief

Rory stayed in the waiting room, thinking about whether or not she should go after Luke.

"Rory? You look scared… your mom is going to fine you know." Christopher said gently.

Rory glared at him. "I'm worried about Luke. He didn't even say anything before he walked away."

"Oh." Christopher didn't look Rory in the eye. "Well I'm sure he just went to the bathroom."

Rory didn't say anything. After another minute passed, she got up to look for Luke. Logan considered following her, but he chose not to.

After finding the nearest bathrooms, Rory sat on a chair nearby, waiting to see if Luke would come out of the men's room.

Luke was in the bathroom. He had taken a few deep breaths before tears escaped his eyes. _Lorelai will be okay_ He told himself. He knew that there was a low risk of something going wrong during the surgery, but he still felt anxious. Time was passing by so fast and he felt like she should be out of surgery by now.

He finally broke down. He let go of everything that had been building up for the past few months. The only time he had let himself be this this emotional was when he had that nightmare that Lorelai had died. _Get yourself together_.

After taking a shaky breath, he looked at himself in the mirror. He looked tired and distraught. He rubbed his face then splashed some water on it. It took a few minutes to calm himself down, but he managed to do it.

When he stepped out of the bathroom, he immediately saw Rory sitting on a chair. She looked up when she heard him take a step towards her.

"Luke," She whispered.

"I'm fine." He said in a low voice.

Rory frowned and stood up. "Are you sure? You don't look fine. It's okay if you're not fine…"

Luke reached out and placed a hand on her shoulder, gave it a squeeze. "I'll be fine as long as your mom's fine." He bit his lip, thinking he had said the wrong thing. "I mean I'm just anxious… she should be out of surgery by now."

Rory nodded slowly. "I'm sure the nurse will come soon and tell us that everything went smoothly and she's in the recovery room. But um…" She trailed off.

Luke gave her a pointed look, urged her to speak.

"Are you uncomfortable… with my dad being here?"

"Oh, um no not really, it's kind of tense." Luke sighed. "I'm sorry, I'm just not really a big fan of his. He's your dad though, so I have to be okay with him being here."

"I get it." Rory met his eyes. "I think he's trying to be here for me… I just um it's hard for me to rely on him. He's never been consistent. But I'm happy he's here now."

Luke didn't say anything. He didn't want to share his true opinion of Christopher with Rory. He didn't want to upset her by calling her dad an asshole.

"I'm happy you're here too. You've always been there for mom and me." Rory smiled softly. "You're the guy we can rely on, Luke. No matter what, we can count on you."

Luke smiled and wrapped an arm around Rory, pulling her into a hug. Rory hugged him back. It was a quick hug, but a comfort to both of them.

"Should we head back?" Rory asked when she pulled away.

"Yeah," Luke said gently.

They walked back to the waiting room. When Rory took her seat next to Logan, he took her hand in his and whispered in her ear:

"Is everything okay?"

"It will be" Rory whispered back. Logan's thumb brushed her knuckles and he pressed a quick kiss to her cheek.

Christopher looked at them, a scowl on his face. Luke noticed this and rolled his eyes. He was just happy that Rory had a supportive boyfriend.

A nurse walked into the room and looked around. Emily grasped Richard's hand. Luke's heart skipped a beat.

"You're Miss Gilmore's family, correct?" The nurse asked them.

"Yes. How is she?" Richard answered.

"She's recovering. She just woke up and is asking for her family." She looked at everyone. "I must ask that only her immediate family visit first and only one person is allowed in the room at once.

"Rory, you go first. Your grandfather and I can wait." Emily said.

Luke glanced at Rory, letting her know that he agreed, she should go first,

"Okay." Rory let go of Logan's hand and stood up quickly. As she walked away, Christopher followed her.

"Rory, wait a second."

Rory stopped. Christopher gave her a hug. "Tell your mom I'm glad she's okay. I should get going… I've got to pick up Gigi soon."

Rory looked away for a second. "Oh, ok. I'll call you later." She murmured.

Christopher quickly kissed Rory's cheek. Rory turned around and followed the nurse without saying a word.

Christopher walked over to his chair and picked up his coat. He said his goodbyes and turned to leave. Luke stood up.

"You're leaving just like that?" He grumbled.

Christopher turned around. "What?"

"I said you're leaving just like that? So fast?"

Christopher's brow furrowed. "I need to pick up my daughter. Lorelai is fine and Rory is too. They don't need me."

"How do you know that? What if Rory doesn't want you to leave?"

"She didn't say so…"

"That doesn't mean anything. She used to you leaving. I'm sure she isn't surprised that you're leaving once again." Luke said bitterly.

Christopher stepped closer. "Look, you don't get to tell me how my daughter feels. I was here and now I have to go. I stayed until I knew Lorelai was okay. Rory doesn't need me… Lorelai doesn't either. They've got you. I need to be there for my other daughter." He looked down. "I can't have her resent me too."

Luke wanted to tell him that he was wrong, that Rory did need her father but he wasn't so sure of that. She seemed to always give him another chance, even when he didn't deserve it. It appeared that she was okay with her father being absent when she was growing up because she had Lorelai. Lorelai wasn't only her mother, she was her best friend.

At times Luke felt heartbroken for Rory, but he also realized that maybe she and Lorelai were better off without Christopher. He just hated that Christopher always ended up leaving them. It seemed like Luke was always the one to pick up the pieces when Chris left the girls. _But it's his loss. He doesn't deserve the love of Lorelai and Rory._

Luke just shrugged. It was Christopher's problem, not his. He just wanted Lorelai and Rory to be happy. Christopher turned and walked away.

* * *

Meanwhile, Rory arrived in Lorelai's room. The nurse had told her that Lorelai took longer than expected to wake up from the anesthesia but it was nothing to be too concerned about.

"Mom?" Rory whispered. Lorelai's eyes were closed.

Lorelai's eyes opened slowly. "Hey hon" She whispered.

Rory leaned down. "How are you feeling?"

"A little sore, a little numb, but I'm happy to see you." Lorelai managed a smile.

Rory reached out and touched Lorelai's cheek. "Is it okay for Grandma and Grandpa to come in?"

"Of course, is Luke coming too?"

"Yeah. The nurse said only the immediate family first. I told her Luke is your fiancé and she said he could visit for a few minutes. Only one visitor at a time though."

"Okay. Go get Grandma."

Rory left to get Emily. When she returned to the waiting room, she gave Emily directions to Lorelai's room then went over to Logan.

Logan pulled her close. She relaxed in his embrace. "She's fine."

He kissed the top of her head. Rory pulled away and led him back to the chairs. "The nurse told me that mom took a long time to wake up from the anesthesia." She told Luke.

Luke nodded. Emily came back a few minutes later. Then Richard went to see Lorelai. When Richard returned, he told Luke that Lorelai was falling asleep and that they were keeping her overnight.

"I'll go see her." He looked at Rory and Logan then at the Gilmores. "Do you want to go out to eat after this?"

"Sure." Rory replied. She looked at Logan, who also agreed.

"We could go to a nice restaurant in Harvard." Emily suggested.

"We'll decide when Luke gets back." Richard said, reading Luke's expression, sensing that he had other plans.

Luke left the room. In her room, he found Lorelai asleep.

He pulled a chair over to the bed and sat down. He took her hand. She made a noise; his touch had surprised her as she didn't hear him come in. Opening her eyes, she saw him and whispered, "Hi"

"Hi. I didn't mean to wake you."

"I wasn't asleep for long; at least I don't think so."

"I won't stay long, you should get some rest." He said.

"Rory and my parents seemed to be worried. The doctor told me that everything went okay." She murmured.

"Yeah, everything's fine. It's just that you took a long time to wake up."

"Oh."

She stared at his face and saw his gloomy expression.

"Hon, I'm okay." She assured him.

He squeezed her hand. "I know. Things were just getting a little tense out there while you were in surgery. Nothing to worry about,"

"Oh okay." She accepted his answer. She didn't want to press him. "I'm one step closer to beating this thing."

"Yeah," He gave her a tiny smile and squeezed her hand again. "I better leave and let you get your rest. We're going out for dinner, Rory, Logan and I and your parents."

"Really? That's nice."

"Yep," Luke leaned down and kissed her forehead, leaving his lips there for an extra second.

"See you tomorrow." Lorelai said before she closed her eyes.

"Tomorrow," Luke left the room.

* * *

Back in the waiting room, Luke found Logan and Rory alone.

"Grandma and Grandpa went to bring their car around. I told them we'd meet them out front." Rory said.

"All right," Luke replied. The three of them headed to the elevator.

"Do you think your grandparents would be okay with going to Sniffy's or is it too…" Luke stopped; he wasn't sure how to describe Sniffy's.

Rory knew that Sniffy's was the place where Luke took Lorelai on their first date. She knew it was a tavern. "Um I don't know. It might not be their taste. But I know it's special to you and I can probably convince them to go."

"Okay." Luke said hesitantly.

They met Emily and Richard outside.

"Well, where are we going to eat?" Emily asked.

"Um, actually I was going to ask if you'd be okay with going to my favourite place. It's uh a tavern. I know the owners, they're friends of mine, they were close friends of my parents actually." Luke looked away for a second then looked back at Emily. He was scared she'd immediately reject the idea of going to Sniffy's.

"I haven't been to a tavern in years. Not since before I was married. The Whiffenpoofs and I used to frequent a tavern near Yale." Richard disclosed.

"Do they have good food?" Emily questioned.

Luke was a bit taken aback. He was surprised she hadn't shot down the idea. "Uh yeah, very nice food, Lorelai and I actually went there on our first date."

Emily frowned. "Oh then wouldn't you want it to be your special place, just the two of you?"

"I want everyone to experience it. Maisy and Buddy are great people, very sweet and friendly and the food really is great." Luke replied honestly.

"Well, all right I suppose we'll take your word for it." Emily said.

"I think it sounds great." Logan chimed in.

Rory smiled at him. "I'll go in Logan's car. Luke, you can lead the way."

* * *

When they arrived at Sniffy's Luke held the door open for everyone and told them to wait while he went to find Maisy. He walked to the office at the back. The door was open and Maisy was sitting down, writing something. Luke stood in the door and knocked on the door.

Maisy looked up, startled. "Oh, Lucas this is a nice surprise."

"Hi Maisy, sorry I didn't call first." Luke walked over to her as she stood up.

They hugged. "Is Lorelai with you?"

Luke shook his head. "No, but her family is. I brought her daughter and her parents with me. I thought why not bring them here, the food is good and I want you and Buddy to meet them."

"Bud is off tonight, but I'd be happy to meet them and I should be able to get you a table. How is Lorelai?" Her expression changed. Luke had told her and Buddy about Lorelai.

"She's fine. She just had a lumpectomy today actually. It went well. And oh! I didn't tell you, we're engaged."

Maisy hit his arm. "Lucas! That's wonderful. Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

"Well, it happened so fast and I didn't get around to calling you. And we were at Martha's Vineyard for a week, that's where I proposed actually."

Maisy smiled. "That's nice. We'll we better get out there so you can introduce me to her family and I can get some food in you."

Luke chuckled. They left the office and headed to the front of the tavern.

"Maisy, this is Lorelai's family. Her daughter Rory, her dad, Richard and her mother, Emily. And this is Logan, Rory's boyfriend."

Maisy said hello to each of them and shook their hands then took off, leading them to a table.

"My, she's fast." Emily mumbled.

Once they were all seated and the drink orders had been placed, Richard asked Luke how long Sniffy's had been around.

"Since before I was born, I don't know the exact year."

"It's nice in here." Emily said in a low voice.

Luke raised his eyebrows. He wasn't sure if she was serious.

They chatted while they waited for the food to come. Emily and Richard talked to Logan and Rory mostly. Luke was okay with that.

Their food came and Luke was relieved when everyone had gotten what they had ordered. He felt a sudden pang in his heart. He missed Lorelai. When Rory flashed him a smile, he relaxed. He knew Lorelai wouldn't want everyone moping around without her.

Emily complimented the food. Richard had a few too many beers and told stories of his days at Yale. When it was time to get the cheque, Luke told them he'd pay.

"Nonsense Luke, Richard and I can pay for our own meals." Emily said.

"I can pay for myself and Rory." Logan added.

"Please, it's on me. I invited everyone and I don't mind paying." Luke insisted. Maisy would give him a discount, but he still wanted to pay.

"Are you sure?" Richard asked. He patted his wife's hand, urging her to let Luke speak.

"Yes." Luke replied simply.

Emily shrugged. Before she could change her mind and object, Luke got up to find Maisy and say goodbye.

After paying the bill, Luke thanked Maisy and told her that he would bring Lorelai after she was done treatment.

"And you'll invite us to the wedding I assume?" Maisy teased.

"You know it." Luke winked at her then gave her a quick hug.

Maisy came back to the table to say goodbye to everyone. Outside, they stood in front of their cars.

"I better head back to New Haven, got an early class tomorrow." Logan said.

"Bye. Call me tomorrow." Rory gave him a quick kiss.

"That was a nice dinner, I wasn't really expecting much. Thank you for inviting us, Luke." Emily said gently.

"You're welcome." Luke smiled.

Richard shook Luke's hand. "Goodnight."

Rory hugged her grandparents goodbye. Emily drove since Richard had drunk.

"Ready to head home?" Luke asked Rory, nodding towards the truck. Rory would be staying the night in Stars Hollow.

"Yeah," Rory answered, lost in her thoughts.

* * *

When they got to the house, Luke reached over and touched Rory's shoulder.

"You okay?" He asked.

"Yeah. I'm just thinking about Mom. I miss her. I wish she was spending the night at home. But she'll be okay, that's all that matters."

"She will be." Luke let out a breath. He opened the truck door.

Rory followed him inside. They said goodnight and headed their separate ways.

In bed, Luke tossed and turned. He missed the feeling of Lorelai next to him. She would always snuggle up to him; there would never be more than a few inches between them. He pulled the blanket up and rolled on to his back. Looking up to the ceiling, he wished Lorelai a goodnight then closed his eyes. Sleep finally came to him an hour later.

* * *

 **Author's note: Thanks for reading. I can't believe this story had over 100 reviews, thank you everyone. I wasn't sure if Richard and Emily agreeing to go to Sniffy's would be in character or not, but I wanted them to be more accepting of Luke and get to know him better I guess. Please let me know what you think of this chapter.**


	23. Chapter 23

Luke woke at 8:30 the next morning. That was unusual for him as he was used to waking up early to the open the diner. But the past couple had months had changed his habits. He found it was better to sleep in until at least 8 most mornings. Lorelai would usually stay in bed a little longer after he got up. He would make breakfast and she would come downstairs once it was cooked. Some mornings they would wake up around the same time and just lie in bed.

This morning, Lorelai was not there. Luke had gotten a good sleep without her, but he still missed waking up next to her. After stretching, he slowly got out of bed and walked over to the bathroom. Looking in the mirror, he scratched his chin. His beard itched. He decided to shave after showering. A half hour later, he was facial hair free, not even leaving any stubble.

Downstairs, he started cooking breakfast for himself and Rory. He expected she would wake up to the smell of bacon cooking. When he was almost done cooking, Rory came out of her room.

"Morning Luke,"

"Morning. Is bacon and eggs all right with you?"

Rory smiled softly. "Yeah, sounds great. Thanks."

Luke just smiled back and put her food on a plate and brought it over to her as she took a seat at the table. They chatted as they ate and after they were finished, Luke told Rory he was planning to clean up the house. They would be heading back to the hospital in a couple hours to take Lorelai home.

"Want some help?" Rory offered. She wasn't in the mood to do schoolwork. She would be heading back to Yale the next day.

"Sure. Do you mind starting on the living room? I'm gonna work on the kitchen." Luke glanced around the kitchen.

Rory headed to the living room while Luke started the dishes. An hour and a half later, the whole downstairs was spotless and Luke was tidying up the bedroom when Rory came upstairs.

"Ready to go?" She asked.

"One second." Luke replied. He was putting a picture in a frame. It was the picture of him and Lorelai that was taken at the Vineyard. The girl had emailed it to Lorelai as promised and she had printed it. She didn't get around to putting it in a frame.

Luke placed the picture on top of the dresser. Rory walked over and looked at it.

"Aww. That's a cute picture. It was taken right after you proposed right?"

"Yep," Luke smiled. He glanced at the picture for a few seconds before turning to leave. Rory followed him out the door.

* * *

A little while later, they were in Lorelai's hospital room. The doctor had cleared her for release and she was sitting on her bed, waiting for them to bring a wheelchair. It was hospital policy for all patients to leave in a wheelchair.

"You feel okay?" Luke asked, concerned that she was in pain.

"I'm still sore but I've got a prescription for pain meds we need to pick up."

Luke just nodded. A nurse came in with the wheelchair and helped Lorelai into it. Luke pushed her and Rory walked beside her.

"We went to Sniffy's last night. It was nice, even Grandma and Grandpa liked it." Rory told Lorelai.

"Really? I thought you would have gone to a restaurant in Hartford. My parents liked Sniffy's? Are you sure they weren't body snatched when you weren't looking?"

"I thought I'd take them there so they could meet Maisy and I wanted to show your parents my life… let them get to know me better. They are going to be my in laws." Luke said.

Lorelai giggled a little. "Well I'm happy to hear that you guys enjoyed your time together. I love that my parents have become more accepting of you."

"Maisy was really sweet and the food was great. I'd love to go back there one day and I'm sure Grandma and Grandpa would come too." Rory added.

"Well, we'll all have to go together one day." Lorelai said softly.

They got to the Jeep ten minutes later. Rory helped Lorelai in to her seat and Luke went to return the wheelchair.

"Hey mom?" Rory said her tone serious.

"Yeah hon?"

"I didn't tell you yesterday, but Dad was here and he left after they told us the surgery went well. He told me to tell you he's glad you're okay." Rory tried not to show her disappointment,

"Oh, well it's good he showed up but too bad he couldn't stay… for you." Lorelai didn't know how to feel. She wasn't sure how Rory felt either. Obliviously she couldn't control when Christopher showed up and Rory was a twenty one year old. She and Christopher could decide things for themselves.

"Yeah, at least he was there for a little while. He had to leave to pick up Gigi."

"And um you're fine with him coming and going as he pleases? I mean you don't wish that things were different?" Lorelai bit her lip.

"No. I've learned to accept that he'll be there when he's there and there's nothing I can do about it. I'm okay with our relationship, really. Besides I had Logan there and also Luke was there for me." Rory replied. She didn't want to tell Lorelai that Luke had left for a bit. That was his decision, whether to tell Lorelai or not.

Luke returned at that moment. He started up the Jeep and asked Lorelai if she wanted the radio on.

"You don't mind?"

"Nah," He shrugged.

"Okay turn it on then… and Luke?"

Luke looked at her, eyebrow raised.

"Thank you. For staying with Rory in the waiting room while I was in surgery."

"Of course," He answered.

Lorelai smiled and Luke pressed the button to turn on the radio.

* * *

When they arrived home, Lorelai immediately noticed how clean the house was.

"Did you clean the whole house?" Lorelai gasped. She was looking at Luke.

"Yeah, it needed to be done." Luke said simply.

"And I helped." Rory piped.

"Well thank you." Lorelai said. "The house hasn't looked this good in years."

"You're welcome." Luke placed a hand on her shoulder. "Do you want some coffee?"

"That'd be great thanks."

"You too?" Luke asked Rory.

"Sure thanks Luke."

Luke went into the kitchen.

"You want to watch a movie or something?" Rory asked. She figured Lorelai would want to relax.

"Um I think I'm gonna have a nap after my coffee. That sounds weird since I'm drinking caffeine but I didn't sleep much in the hospital." Lorelai admitted.

"Okay. You need your rest."

They walked into the kitchen to find Luke pouring their coffee. After drinking their coffee, Rory went into her bedroom to study and Lorelai headed upstairs. Luke followed her.

"Aw you framed the picture. I've been meaning to do that." Lorelai picked up the picture and gave Luke an affectionate look.

"It's a nice picture, isn't it?" He said.

"It's very cute, and it's our first picture together. Our first one as a couple at least," Lorelai remembered the picture Rachel had took of them at the Firelight Festival.

"Oh yeah it is." Luke nodded.

"Most couples take pictures to announce their engagement but we didn't because of… well because of the different circumstances." Lorelai said quietly.

Luke stepped closer to her. He put a hand on her shoulder. She looked at him. "You're okay with that right?"

"Of course, my health comes first. I'm just happy we're engaged, that we're going to spend the rest of our lives together." She grinned and turned, put her hands on his cheeks and kissed him.

It was a quick kiss but he gave her a peck when she pulled back. He couldn't help but smile at her.

"You shaved! I was surprised when I saw you this morning." Lorelai ran her thumb over his chin.

"Yeah my beard was getting so itchy and I didn't want it to get any longer." He explained.

"Well I like shaven Luke but I also like facial hair Luke." She squinted at him.

"Good to know." He said, sounding confused.

She laughed. "I love you either way."

He just smirked and pulled her in for another kiss. They shared a few tender kisses.

Lorelai took her jeans off and put on a pair of sweatpants. She got in bed and patted the spot next to her.

Luke lied down next to her, lying on top of the covers. "Is there anything you need?" He asked.

"Nope. I'm good. I should be able to sleep."

"Want me to stay?" He rubbed her arm.

"If you want to," She closed her eyes for a second. "It is nice to be next to you again. It was only one night but I missed sleeping next to you."

"Me too," He said in a low voice.

She sighed contentedly and closed her eyes again. "It's good to be home." She whispered after a minute.

He pressed a quick kiss to the top of her head then put his arm around her waist. She was lying on right side, the opposite side of the surgery site.

Luke lied there until she fell asleep. He shut the door behind him quietly and headed downstairs. He called Mia to update her on Lorelai then ate lunch with Rory. Lorelai woke up a couple hours later and they all watched a funny movie together. Right as the movie ended, the phone rang.

Lorelai picked it up. "Hello?"

"Hello Lorelai." Emily answered.

"Mom hey, what's up?"

"I'm just calling to check up on you. How are you doing?"

"I'm fine, happy to be home. How are you and Dad? I heard you went to Sniffy's last night." Lorelai

"We're all right. Yes, it was a nice little place. I was surprised actually. The food was very good and Luke's friend… what was her name?"

"Maisy,"

"Yes, Maisy, she was very friendly. Your father and I had a good time." Emily said.

"I'm glad to hear that. Thanks for going, it meant a lot to Luke and me and Rory too."

"Well it was a nice evening." Emily let out a breath. "So are you following the doctor's orders?"

"Yes Mom. I had a nap when I got home and I took my pills."

"All right. I was calling to ask if you and Rory and Luke are coming for Thanksgiving dinner in a couple weeks."

"Oh um yeah I think we should be able to come." The past couple weeks flew by and Lorelai forgot what date it was.

"We'll see you soon." There was a noise on Emily's end. "Your father wants to talk to you."

"Put him on."

"Lorelai, hello," Richard said.

"Hi Dad, how's it going?"

"Well, thank you. Are you feeling okay? Is your recovery going well?"

"Yes. I'm just happy to be home." Lorelai answered.

They chatted a little more before Richard asked to speak to Rory. He and Rory talked for a little bit.

Luke yawned.

"Ready for bed hon?" Lorelai asked rubbing his leg.

"Yeah, are you two staying up?"

Rory looked at Lorelai. "I think I can watch another movie. How about you?"

"Yeah, I'm up for it." Lorelai told her. "We can watch a chick flick without Luke complaining." She teased.

"Goodnight." Was all Luke said before he gave Lorelai a quick kiss and stood up.

"Night," Lorelai and Rory called after him.

Rory put a new movie in then sat next to Lorelai. They snuggled up close. Rory hit the play button and started the movie.

"Hey, you know what would be good right now? Red Vines." Lorelai whispered.

"I think we have some." Rory said. She started to move.

"You don't have to get them. We just got comfortable." Lorelai frowned.

"I don't mind." Rory got up quickly. She didn't pause the movie. She was back in a few minutes.

"Luke must have moved them to the higher cupboard, but I found them." Rory held up the bag of Red Vines.

Lorelai grinned. "Don't tell him that you found them."

"We'll just eat the whole bag and hide the evidence." Rory snickered.

"Good plan."

Rory sat back down. She opened the bag and held it out to Lorelai. Lorelai took a piece of licorice and bit it, "Mmm" She mumbled.

Rory smiled and took a piece. They watched the movie in silence.

When Lorelai got in bed later that night, she woke up Luke.

"Oops didn't mean to wake you. Go back to sleep." She muttered.

"It's okay." He whispered. He reached for her. She curled up to him.

Pressing a kiss to his neck, she grinned in the dark. "It's so nice to be home." She said again.

"Mmm hmm." He ran a hand up and down her back. They were asleep in minutes.

* * *

A couple weeks later, they went to the Gilmore's for Thanksgiving.

"Luke, have you thought about when you'll reopen the diner?" Emily asked suddenly.

"Um, no I haven't given it much thought."

"You said you were gonna wait until after I was completely done treatment right?" Lorelai asked.

"Yeah. I think it'd be best to wait until then."

Emily seemed pleased with his answer. "Does the town know that you're engaged?"

"Of course they know, it's Stars Hollow. They knew within minutes of Babette finding out, I knew she'd spread it around town. The people I've seen have said their congratulations." Lorelai answered.

"That's nice. I wonder if your friends would plan an engagement party once everything calms down." Emily said.

"Maybe… I think Sookie might want to plan a wedding shower or something when the time comes but I'll let you be involved too Mom, don't worry."

Emily managed a smile.

"And how did your appointment go the other day? Richard asked.

Lorelai had an appointment to check how she was recovering the other day. "Great. I'm recovering at the normal pace. Radiation starts in a couple weeks, a couple weeks before Christmas actually." She realized this as she said it.

"Oh then you could have all this behind by the end of the year?" Richard questioned.

"No. I need multiple radiation treatments daily for a few weeks…" Lorelai informed him.

"Oh all right." Richard gave a short nod.

Richard and Luke talked a little bit about business before Lorelai changed the subject to Rory. She could tell that Luke wasn't really into business talk. He thanked her silently.

"How are you and Logan?" Emily asked Rory.

"We're good. He's been busy with school lately, we both have actually. He's working hard to graduate next year."

"And how are his parents? We haven't seen Mitchum and Shira for a long time."

"I think they're good. I don't talk to them…" Rory bit her lip.

"Rory aced her exam the other day." Lorelai changed the subject.

"Yeah, I thought I had missed a few questions but it turns out I didn't." Rory smiled shyly.

"That's great. We're very proud of you, aren't we Richard?"

"Yes, very proud." Richard responded after a few seconds.

"It seems like dad is ready to hit the hay soon. What's for dessert?" Lorelai said excitedly.

"Pumpkin pie and ice cream, I'll go tell Sarah to bring it out." Emily got up.

After dessert, Lorelai Luke and Rory said their goodbyes and left.

"That was the longest Thanksgiving dinner I ever attended." Luke rubbed his face.

"I hear ya." Lorelai looped her arm through his. She and Luke had had a couple drinks so Rory was the designated driver.

"Come on kids, let's get you home and in bed." Rory joked.

Luke and Lorelai both smiled at her and got in the Jeep.

* * *

Once they were home, they said their goodnights and headed to bed. Before Lorelai drifted off to sleep, she poked Luke and whispered:

"Hey I wonder when the first snow will come? Before or after I start radiation…"

Luke groaned and rolled over. "Probably before, why?" He wished she would just go to sleep instead of thinking about these kinds of things.

"Because it's magical when it snows. And you know I'm gonna drag you out of bed and we're going to watch the first snow together." She laughed.

"Yeah right," He said sarcastically.

"You know I can get you to do anything." She kissed his cheek, his jaw then nibbled his earlobe. "I have ways of persuading you."

"Lorelai. Go to sleep." He grumbled.

"Okay Grumpy Pants." She huffed. She kissed him softly then rolled over.

"Love you." Lorelai said before she closed her eyes.

"Love you too." His response came immediately.

She fell asleep with a smile on her face.

* * *

 **Author's Note: Thank you for reading, reviewing, following and favouriting this story.**


	24. Dark Day With a Little Light

A few days later, Lorelai woke with the feeling that she was forgetting something. Luke was still asleep, snoring softly next to her. She got out of bed slowly and walked over to the door where her purse was sitting on the floor. Picking it up, she dug around in it until she found her pocketbook.

She opened it to November and saw that she had written _Luke_ with a little heart on today's date, November 30th. It was Luke's dark day, she realized. She wondered if he had forgotten. Getting back into bed, she curled up next to him. His back was to her so she pressed her face to the back of his shoulders and wrapped an arm around his waist. She kissed his neck and his cheek.

That woke him up. He groaned.

"Sorry. You slept in a little, are you okay?" She whispered.

He took a second to reply, "Yeah, why?"

She let out a breath. _Maybe he doesn't remember._ "It's your dark day honey."

Luke stiffened. Lorelai kissed his cheek again. "I'm sorry"

He took hold of her hand. "It's okay. I forgot about it… but I'm fine."

Lorelai pulled back from him. He turned to face her. She gave him a wary look.

"Really, I'm fine." He promised. He kissed her cheek then got up, heading to the bathroom.

Lorelai's brow furrowed. She was worried about him. The past few months had been about him being there for her and now was the time to show him that she would be there for him. He had been her rock and she wanted to be his.

She lied in bed for a few more minutes and heard the shower running. She got out of bed and went downstairs. Picking up the phone, she dialed Rory's number.

"Hi Mom,"

"Hey sweets, are you headed to class right now?"

"No. Not for another half hour. I can talk, what's up?"

"Well remember Luke's dark day last year?" Lorelai said slowly.

"Oh yeah… it's today. November 30th, right?" Rory answered.

"Right. I want to do something for him you know? I want to show him that I appreciate all he's done for me in the past few months, well the past nine years really. I know he knows I love him but I just want to comfort him. I want to do something special for him."

"Yeah um… hmm I don't know what you could do. Maybe go on a day trip or something?" Rory said.

"Oh yeah, that might make him smile. Um… we could go fishing maybe."

"You? Go fishing?" Rory almost laughed.

"Hey! I went fishing with Alex remember?"

"Oh yeah, and Luke was the one who taught you how. I feel bad for him, he was into you and he was teaching you how to fish for your date with another guy."

"Well he didn't tell me how he felt for years!" Lorelai exclaimed. She shook her head. "That's not the point, we're engaged now and I just want to do something that will cheer him up a little. I think fishing might make him smile. I'm not really into it, but I just want to do something that will make _him_ happy."

"Okay." Rory smiled. "I think fishing will make him happy. I just hope he actually catches something or else the whole day would kind of be a bummer."

"Rory! Don't think like that."

"Sorry. Yes, I think going fishing is a great idea."

"Thank you." Lorelai sighed. "He should be getting out of the shower soon so I need to go. I'll call you later."

"Okay. Tell Luke I say hi and that I'm thinking about him."

"I will. Love you bye."

"Love you too bye."

Lorelai hung up the phone just as she heard Luke walking down the stairs.

"Who was that?" He asked.

"Rory, she says hi and she's thinking about you. She reached out and rubbed his arm. "What do you want to do today?" She asked.

He shrugged and walked to the kitchen. She followed.

"I'm just gonna make breakfast for now." He told her.

"Okay. Um after that what do you want to do?" She stood next to the stove and watched him get cooking utensils out of the cupboards and food out of the fridge.

"I don't know. Why?" He didn't look at her.

"Because I uh want to do something," She put a hand on his arm to get him to stop what he was doing.

"What kind of something?" He turned to her.

"We could go fishing." She said, keeping her eyes on his.

He gaped at her. "You don't want to fish."

"Yes I do, with you. I want to do something you like to do." She insisted. He had gone back to preparing breakfast.

"You don't have to do that… just because it's my dark day." He said gently, his voice lacking emotion.

"But I want to. Please Luke. I want to make you happy."

"You do make me happy. But these past few months have been about you, about making you comfortable and making you smile when you can." He grumbled.

"I know and I love you for caring about me and focusing on me but today is about you. I want to make you smile. I," She stopped and let out a breath. "I want you to have some light on your dark day."

He stopped preparing the food and looked at her. She met his eyes and gave him a pleading look. "I don't even know if the weather's good today."

"I'll check!" She scurried away to find her laptop.

Luke just shook his head and started cooking. Lorelai returned a few minutes later. She sat at the table and waited for her laptop to boot up. A few minutes later, she called him over to look at the screen.

"Wait until I finish cooking." He said. It took him several minutes to finish cooking their omelettes. He put her plate next to her laptop and his on the other side of the table then stood behind her chair and bent down.

Lorelai looked at him as he read the weather information on the screen. "I guess it's not too bad. It's cold though so you should wear layers." He muttered then turned to go sit down. Once he sat down, she shot up and went over to him.

"So we can go?" She asked with a small smile.

"Yeah. I guess so." He looked at her face. "Yes." He clarified.

"Yay!" She shouted bending down to give him a quick hug.

He chuckled thinking it was funny to see her be this enthusiastic about fishing.

"You won't regret this babe." She said as she took her seat.

He just smiled at her, wondering what he had gotten himself into.

* * *

Two hours later, they were at the fishing spot. They would be fishing from the dock as Luke had never finished his father's boat. Lorelai told him she'd watch at first to see if he got any fish before she tried fishing. He brought a lawn chair for her.

After ten minutes had passed, Lorelai shouted: "No bites yet?"

"You have to be patient. And you're gonna scare the fish if you yell like that." Luke replied. He smirked to himself. He knew she would be bored.

Another few minutes passed and Lorelai decided she wanted to try. She got up and picked up the rod Luke had brought for her.

She walked up and stood next to him. "Heyyy Luke." She said slowly.

Luke quickly reeled in his line. "Hmm?" He glanced at her.

"Teach me how to fish again, I don't remember."

"All right," He instructed her how to hold the rod and she copied him. Then he showed her how to cast. She followed his directions and made a perfect cast the first time.

"I did it!" She cheered.

Luke grinned. She didn't see it as she was looking out at the water.

"And now we wait." She scrunched up her nose.

He didn't say anything. Ten minutes of silence passed without either of them saying anything. Luke was surprised that Lorelai wasn't complaining. He figured that she didn't want to upset him and that she was really trying to make this a good day and he appreciated that.

Luke felt a tug on his rod suddenly. He pulled up and started reeling.

"Oh! Do you have a fish?!" Lorelai said.

Luke just nodded and continued reeling in the fish. It didn't take long. He reeled in a small fish a minute later.

"Aww it's cute. We should name it." Lorelai glanced at the fish then at Luke.

"Why? It's going back in." Luke held his rod in one hand and removed the hook from the fish with the other.

"Woah. You did that really fast and without tools. You're a real pro."

Luke laughed. He gently threw the fish back in the water.

"Aw I didn't get to say goodbye to Bob." Lorelai pouted.

"Bob? Really?" He rolled his eyes.

She shrugged. "He looked like a Bob."

"Oh!" She shouted as she felt a pull on her rod.

"Got one?" He asked.

"I think so." She started reeling. After a minute she groaned.

"Need some help." He asked?"

"Nah I got it." She grunted as she kept reeling.

He watched her as she struggled a little but managed to reel the fish in. It was bigger than the one he caught.

"Wow! I caught a fish! And it's bigger than the one you got!" She exclaimed.

"Yep," Was all he said. He helped her remove the hook and release the fish.

She looked at him. "I made you smile." She said softly.

He looked back at her; the smile didn't leave his face. She beamed and leaned in to kiss him. They pecked on the lips.

"Now, let's see if we can get any more!" She said when she pulled away.

Soon, they took a break to eat lunch. They didn't catch any more fish that afternoon. Lorelai gave up before Luke did. He tried a few more casts then told her that they could leave.

"Wait, look." She pointed at the scenery.

There was a beautiful sunset over the water. Lorelai stood and walked over to Luke. He put his rod down. She leaned against him and his arm came around her. She wrapped her arms around his waist and pressed her face into his chest.

They stood like that for a while, content.

"Thank you." Luke whispered.

"You're welcome." Lorelai replied. She pulled back a little and smiled at him.

* * *

When they got home, they ate dinner. Afterwards, Luke went upstairs. He seemed to be in a bad mood. Lorelai followed him upstairs to the bedroom.

He was lying on the bed. She sat on the end of the bed.

"Luke? I thought you had a good time? Are you okay hon?"

"I did have a good time. I just want to be alone right now." He said quietly.

"But I thought, I mean… I thought I could help you feel better." Lorelai felt herself tear up.

Luke sighed. He sat up. "You did make me feel better, for a while. I just still miss my dad. I wish he could be here. I wish he could meet you. That he could see us get married."

"Oh," She breathed. She felt heartbroken.

"I just need some time alone. I'll be fine, really." He tried to assure her. He didn't want her to see him like this. Even though more than fifteen years had passed, he still felt broken on this day. He didn't want to push Lorelai away but it was hard for him to talk about his feelings and he'd rather deal with them alone.

"Okay." She got up and left the room.

Lorelai made some popcorn and sat down to watch some TV. She watched two episodes of a sitcom before she fell asleep.

Left alone, Luke thought about his father. He tried to think about the good times, but his mind always drifted to the memories of the day of his dad's death. Liz wasn't even there on the day her own father died. She was living in New York with a young Jess and Luke was left to take care of their sick father.

William Danes was a stubborn man. Luke supposed he had gotten his stubbornness from his father. William refused to die at the hospital, he had wanted to die at home but Luke eventually managed to convince him that he would be more comfortable at a hospice. On his final day, Luke barely had time to say goodbye. He was working at the hardware shop and had closed early to visit his dad. His dad had looked so pale and so weak during his final days. Luke could barely make himself visit, the image of his father so sick had made him uncomfortable and upset. Ever since his mother passed away, hospitals made him feel sick. But he pushed those emotions aside and visited his father every day.

When Luke said goodbye to his dad, he didn't cry for hours. He had called Liz an hour later, and then he called Buddy and Maisy and his father's friends. Finally, when he came home he allowed himself to cry. Now, he couldn't shed a tear. It had been way too long to still be upset about it, he told himself. Losing a parent was difficult, losing both was unbearable. But Luke had somehow made it through all these years. Rachel had come and gone too many times to count. He had only visited Liz and Jess once a year. Luke was lonely for years.

Until Lorelai came into his life, Luke wasn't sure he would ever truly love someone again. He was afraid of getting too attached to people. He had abandonment issues, he realized. But Lorelai, Lorelai was a constant. Yes, they had had fights and they had broken up before. She was still the person he loved most in this world. _She can help me_ he thought. He finally realized that he was stupid to push her away. He had been there for her and now was the time she would be there for him. She would never leave, he knew that.

Luke finally got up and went downstairs. He found Lorelai asleep on the couch. He bent down and gently shook her shoulder.

Lorelai opened her eyes to see Luke in front of her. "Is the dark day over?" She asked gently.

He touched her cheek with his thumb. "No, but come to bed."

She stared at him. "But I thought you wanted to be alone."

"No. I want you. I was wrong to tell you to leave." He cleared his throat. "Uh I'm sorry. I do need you."

She smiled softly. He helped her up. Once they were both standing, she pulled him into her arms. He let her hold him for a bit before her pulled back and kissed her tenderly.

She sighed against his lips and deepened the kiss. He was the one to break the kiss and he took her hand and led her upstairs.

They lied in bed for a bit, Lorelai still in her clothes. When she moved he made a sound of protest.

"I'm just gonna go change and brush my teeth, I'll be right back." She said.

She returned a few minutes later, wearing one of his flannels. He smiled as she got back in bed and cuddled up to him. She laid her head on his chest and his hand rested on head. They lied in that position until he fell asleep. She lifted her head and moved but stayed close to him. When he woke in the middle of the night in a cold sweat, she comforted him with kisses and gentle words.

* * *

A week later, Lorelai had her first radiation treatment. Rory was still at Yale and it was finals week so she couldn't make it. Luke was the only one who came to the appointment as Emily and Richard were busy. Luke couldn't go in the room with her so he waited in the waiting room. When Lorelai came out, he asked her how it went.

"Fine. It didn't hurt at all." She answered. "And there are almost no side effects so it's the least stressful treatment."

"That's good." He said. He took her hand and they walked out of the hospital together.

When they got home, Lorelai called Rory to tell her how treatment went. After they chatted for a bit, Rory changed the subject.

"Um Mom, I wanted to run something by you."

"Yes? What is it?" Lorelai asked calmly.

"Well Logan wants to spend some time in Asia during the holidays, after Christmas and he wants me to come." Rory stopped, wanting to hear what Lorelai thought.

"You should go." Lorelai said quickly. She would never tell Rory not to go.

"Really? I mean I want to stay here and spend time with you but I also want to go but I don't want to leave you at a time like this."

"Really. Go, have fun. I'll be fine. I'll miss you but this is a great opportunity. I have Luke and your grandparents and Sookie and the town. No one can replace you of course but I think you deserve to go on this trip and have fun with Logan."

"Okay." Rory relented. "I'll go. Thank you Mom."

"You don't need to thank me hon." Lorelai smiled.

"I'll be home in a few days and we can spend half of my break together. We can do whatever you want." Rory said. She sounded a little concerned.

"I know you love to spend time with mommy." Lorelai laughed a little. "Don't worry we'll get enough time together before your trip, you'll get sick of me by the time you have to go so much so that you'll can't wait to get away from me." She teased.

Rory faked a gasp. "Never"

"So what countries in Asia are you going to?"

"Um so far China, Thailand and Japan if we have time, we only have a week."

"Sounds like fun. Is Logan paying for all of it?" Lorelai wondered.

"Yes. Well I told him I'd pay for some of it but he told me he'd handle it."

"Ah Mr. Moneybags and he's only twenty four, damn those trust fund kids." Lorelai said. She didn't mean for it to come off as offensive.

"Hey! He's working hard to graduate and he wants to get away from his family." Rory lowered her voice.

"I know, I'm sorry I didn't mean to be offensive. I know he loves you and you love him and that you're happy. That's all I want, for you to be happy." Lorelai answered.

"I am…me too. I want you to be happy too." Rory said.

"I know and I am happy." _I'll be really happy once I'm cancer free_. She didn't want to say that out loud.

"I better go, Logan just got here and we're going out for dinner."

"Okay. Bye. See you soon."

"Bye." Rory hung up. She rushed over to Logan and gave him a hello kiss.

"Hey Ace, ready to go?" He smiled when she pulled back.

"Yep. Let me just get my coat." She picked up her coat.

They walked to his car. "I talked to my mom and I've decided that I want to go to Asia with you."

"Are you sure?"

"Yep. We talked and decided that I should go. I'll miss her but she'll be fine."

Logan wrapped his arm around her. "I can't wait; it's going to be one hell of a trip."

Rory looked at him for a second. "Wait it's gonna be just us right? No Life and Death Brigade?" She worried.

Logan laughed. "No, of course not, it's only gonna be us. I wouldn't want to bring the guys. I want to be alone with you." He stopped walking which caused her to stop.

"Good." Rory smiled at him. He pulled her in for a kiss. They kissed a few times before she pulled away and took a step back.

"Come on, let's get to the restaurant. I'm starving." She tugged on his hand.

He grinned and they walked the rest of the way to his car.

* * *

 **Author's note: I feel like the last chapter was lacking… it was a filler chapter. I wanted this chapter to focus more on Luke hence the dark day but I added the Logan and Rory part at the end because I felt like the story needed a little bit more of them.  
Thank you for reading, reviewing, favouriting and following this story. Reviews and feedback are appreciated. **


	25. You're Enough

Luke was wrong. It didn't snow until the week after Lorelai started radiation. It was 6 am when Lorelai sniffed the air and sensed that the snow was coming. She watched Luke sleep for a minute before she poked him.

Luke groaned then opened his eyes. "What is it?"

Lorelai grinned. "First snow is coming." She said simply.

He let out a breath, "All right let's go."

She grinned, pleased that he hadn't complained. They got out of bed, Lorelai was faster than him. She had her boots and coat on before he was even downstairs. It was still dark outside, but the porch light allowed them to see.

They walked to the end of the driveway and stood there. Luke felt cold, but he didn't complain. Lorelai wrapped an arm around him and he did the same. They stood there for a few minutes, looking up at the sky occasionally.

"Are you sure there's gonna be snow?" Luke asked in a low voice.

"Hey, I told you I'm never wrong." She replied. "Remember last year?"

He nodded. After he had gone back inside last year, she stayed for one more whiff as promised. Once she got back inside, they found a way to get warm.

One minute later, the snow started to fall. Lorelai grinned and squeezed Luke's side. "I told you!"

Luke just watched her smiling. After standing there for a couple minutes watching the snow, he asked when they could head inside.

"In a minute," She said quietly. The feeling she had always got when the first snow arrived came back. She felt calm, excited and enchanted all at once.

Luke pulled her closer, wrapping both arms around her. "You're crazy." He whispered. He pressed a quick kiss to the top of her head. She wasn't wearing a hat; she had forgotten it in the rush to get outside.

"Yes, but you love me for my craziness." She said.

He didn't say anything, silently agreeing. She turned in his arms and gave him a long, deep kiss.

"Let's go back to bed." She whispered when she pulled back. They looked at the scenery one last time before heading inside.

* * *

A few days later, Rory arrived home. She had finished the semester and was now on winter break. The three of them attended the Gilmore Christmas party. A couple days after that, Luke and Lorelai visited Liz and TJ. When Liz mentioned that she and TJ were trying for a baby, Lorelai got quiet. Luke noticed this and he changed the subject.

When Luke and Lorelai returned home that night, Rory immediately noticed that Lorelai's mood had changed.

"Are you okay Mom?"

"I'm fine. Just tired, I'm gonna go to bed early." Lorelai mumbled as she walked up the stairs.

Rory gave Luke a concerned look.

"I think I know why she's upset." Luke said.

"Why?"

"I'll go talk to her." Luke wasn't sure if Lorelai would want him to tell Rory.

Rory looked like she wanted to say something else but she stayed quiet. Luke headed upstairs. He found Lorelai lying in bed.

"It's only 8:30." He said.

"So what? I'm tired Luke. Leave me alone please."

"No." He refused.

She sighed heavily. He lied down next to her. She turned so that her back was to him.

"Lorelai, I know why you're upset."

"I'm fine. I just need to rest, okay?" She said, clearly irritated.

"No, it's not okay."

"Luke, please. You don't know what wrong. Don't pretend like you do."

Luke was offended by that. "I do know. I know you better than I know anyone. I can tell when you're upset and I know why you're upset."

Lorelai sighed again and turned to face him. There were tear streaks on her face. "What am I upset about?"

Luke reached out and touched her cheek. "When Liz mentioned…" He looked into her eyes. "When Liz mentioned that she and TJ were trying for a baby, you looked down. You're upset because you… we probably won't be able to have a baby of our own." He said gently.

She stared at him for a few seconds before she bit her lip and nodded slightly. She didn't know how to put her feelings into words. _You're jealous_ she told herself.

"I thought you…" Luke trailed off.

Lorelai looked at him, urged him to continue. When he didn't she said, "You thought what?" There was an edge to her voice.

Luke almost let out a sigh. "I thought you accepted the fact that we probably won't be able to have kids of our own."

"I did… ok maybe I didn't but Liz mentioning that she and TJ are trying for a baby made me realize that I really did and still do want a kid with you. When I decided to start treatment, I put those feelings aside. And then after all the weeks of stress you proposed and I was so happy." She stopped and put her hand on her face almost as if she was embarrassed.

Luke didn't say anything. His hand rested on her shoulder and he began rubbing her back.

"Is it stupid that I hate that the chemo probably affected my fertility and now we probably can't have kids?" She asked.

"No." He said gently.

"But it's not like we had ever talked about kids before I got sick. Hell, you might not have even proposed if I wasn't sick." She regretted saying that immediately.

Luke pulled his hand away. "What? Do you really think that?" He raised his voice.

"No, no hon I'm sorry. I know you want to marry me no matter what… it's just I don't know where we would be if I was never sick." She said slowly.

Luke's brow furrowed. "Maybe I wouldn't have proposed as soon as I did, but I wanted to stay with you… I mean I would propose eventually." He put his hand back on her back. "I would." He assured her.

She looked into his eyes and could tell that he was telling the truth. Suddenly, she felt like she needed to tell him something that she had kept from him. "Luke?"

"Yeah?"

"I have to tell you something." She couldn't look at him.

"What is it?" His voice was gruff.

"Before I found out I had cancer, when we went to the party in New York for the magazine article launch, remember?"

He nodded.

"Remember when we got home that night and things got a little… primordial. All the roadblocks were down."

"Roadblocks?"

She gave him a pointed look. Realization came over his face. "Oh right."

"Yeah and I thought there was a chance I might be pregnant."

"What? And you never told me?!"

"I know I'm sorry. I got my period soon after that and I didn't want to worry you if I wasn't sure."

"But you still should have told me." He said.

She sighed softly. "But how would you have handled it? We weren't in the right place then… I mean we had just got back together a little bit before that and like I said we never talked about kids or marriage for that matter."

"Yeah. I understand that but I had the right to know." He wasn't really angry, just upset that she had kept this from him. He cleared his throat. "Actually I kept something from you too."

"What?"

"I was planning on buying the Twickham house, for us."

"Oh wow… that's huge. Why didn't you tell me?" She tried not to sound angry.

"I wanted it to be a surprise. And I just wanted to do it on my own I guess. I knew I wanted a future with you, I wanted to live with you and I always thought the Twickham house was beautiful. I could picture us living there."

"Really? Isn't it a bit big?"

"Well I didn't really think about that and I uh figured we'd have a couple kids, if you wanted them that is."

"You wanted them? She asked hesitantly.

"I did." He answered.

"Oh Luke," She said softly.

"We were idiots." He said.

"Huh?" She was confused.

"We kept big things from each other." He pressed his lips together.

"Yeah, we did." She said quietly.

They were silent for a minute.

"Sometimes I wish I had been pregnant."

He stared at her. "But you would already have the cancer by then… right?"

"I guess so; I found it a few weeks later."

"So you probably would have to…" He didn't finish his sentence.

She started to cry again.

"Hey, shh. It's okay."

"It's not okay that I'm feeling this way." She said.

"What way?"

"Jealous that your sister might be having a baby when I can't…when I should just be grateful that I'm alive. I mean I already have a great kid, I don't need another one."

"No, you don't need one…You just wish you could have another one." He wiped her tears with the pads of his thumbs.

"I'm just emotional." She let out a bitter laugh.

"That's okay. You have the right to be emotional." He replied.

"I'm sorry." She whispered.

"For what?"

"That you can't have any kids with me,"

"We could adopt." He said suddenly.

She gaped at him.

"I mean we could at least think about it. After all this is over,"

"But I want to give you a biological kid. You deserve it."

"Lorelai, its fine. We don't need kids to be happy. Your life is more important. I'm just happy to have you."

It was a sweet thing to say, she thought. She knew he was right, but there would still be a small hole in her heart. It wasn't guaranteed that they would never have a kid but she had a lot of doubt. Rory was and had been her only kid for over twenty years, but she wanted another kid. She wanted to give Luke a child, to have the father of her kid be present to watch that child grow and change, to have a child with someone she truly loved.

"I'm happy to have you too." She gave him a kiss. "I'll come to accept it." She said and she was being honest. She knew she would eventually stop dreaming about have a kid with Luke. It wasn't the end of the world, but it hurt.

He got out bed and gestured for her to do the same. She rolled over and slowly got out of bed. Once she was standing in front of him, he pulled her into his arms.

She relaxed in his embrace. They stood like that for a few minutes. He pulled back a little and kissed the top of her head.

"Everything's going to be okay." He whispered.

"I know." She whispered back.

A few minutes later, they went back downstairs and found Rory watching TV. She seemed to be distracted.

"Mom?" She rasped when she saw Lorelai walking towards her.

Lorelai sat next to her daughter. "I'm okay sweets." She said, but her voice was a little shaky.

"Mom," Rory said gently. She reached out and put a hand on Lorelai's shoulder.

"I'll tell you about it some other time. I just want to watch some TV with my daughter." Lorelai muttered.

"Okay." Rory accepted this. "Wanna watch The Donna Reed Show?"

"Sure." Lorelai moved closer to Rory.

Luke watched with them for a bit before he headed to bed.

* * *

They had a nice Christmas. A few townies showed up at the house, asking if Lorelai needed anything. Luke tried to brush them off, but Patty, Babette and Morey came inside the house and spent some time with Lorelai. Lorelai smiled a lot, she was happy that she had made some true friends in the town she decided to call home. Sookie and Jackson also visited. Later on in the day, Luke and the girls went to the Gilmore house to wish them a Merry Christmas.

The next afternoon, Logan sent a driver to the house to pick up Rory. Their flight to Beijing left that evening. When the driver came to the door, Rory was still finishing some last minute packing.

Lorelai knocked on her open bedroom door. "There's a man named Frank at the door and he claims that he's 'Mr. Huntzberger's driver'. Should I send him away?"

"Why would you do that? He _is_ Logan's driver. He's going to drive me to the airport." Rory said as she zipped her suitcase.

"Because I don't want him to take you away, my only daughter is going to Asia and I don't know what I'm going to do without her."

"Hey, you told me to go. You said you'd be fine." Rory accused.

"I know I know I was just trying to be a little dramatic. It's fun." Lorelai smirked.

Rory smiled back. Her smile faded a second later. "I am going to miss you a lot you know."

"I know. I'm going to miss you a lot too. But you can't be thinking about me all the time. You're going to have fun with your boyfriend. You can't be thinking about your mother while you're alone with your boyfriend." Lorelai said.

Rory raised her eyebrows at Lorelai. "Okay but promise me you won't miss me too much, you need to have a good time with Luke too."

"I will." Lorelai glanced around the room then at Rory. "Ready to go?"

"Yep. I think I've got everything." Rory tried moving her suitcase but struggled.

"Is it too heavy? I told you not to pack so many books."

"I need those books." Rory insisted.

"Hey Luke!" Lorelai yelled. "Get in here, we need your help."

Luke was there in a less than a minute. "What is it? You didn't need to yell, I was in the kitchen."

"Oh, well you weren't there a minute ago." Lorelai gestured to Rory's suitcase. "Can you help the driver get her suitcase to the car?"

"The driver?" Luke asked.

"Logan sent a driver." Rory explained, blushing a little, suddenly feeling embarrassed.

"Does he really need a driver? He just throws his money around doesn't he?" Luke seemed to be agitated.

Rory gave him a look. Luke walked into the room and grabbed the suitcase by its handle and pulled it. He grunted but it moved and he pulled it behind him.

Lorelai and Rory followed Luke to the front door. Luke and Frank headed outside to the car.

"You're sure you're ready? Lorelai asked.

"Yes. I'll email you if I can when we get there." Rory said.

"Okay."

Luke came back in a minute later. "Frank's got the suitcase in the trunk." He said.

Rory nodded then reached out to him and gave him a quick hug. Luke smiled at her.

"Have fun and take lots of pictures." He said.

Rory smiled back then Lorelai pulled her into a tight hug.

"Can't breathe," Rory muttered.

Lorelai only loosened her hold a bit. "Have a safe flight. Tell Logan I say hi and that he better make sure you have the time of your life."

"I will."

"Love you kid."

"Love you too." Rory pulled away then leaned in again to give Lorelai a quick kiss on the cheek.

She looked at Lorelai and Luke one last time before she turned and walked out the door.

Once the car had pulled away, Luke pulled Lorelai to his side. "She's gonna be fine."

"I know." Lorelai said.

They stood there for a minute before Lorelai took his hand. "Come on, I have something planned for us."

He raised his brow. "What is it?"

"You'll have to wait and see." She said as she pulled him.

When they entered the kitchen, Luke looked around.

"Well, maybe I didn't really plan anything but we can make the night special." Lorelai said slowly.

Luke winked at her. She grinned.

"I was planning on making a nice dinner anyway." He told her.

"Aww really? That's sweet of you."

They had a nice, quiet evening together. By ten o'clock, they were cuddled together in bed, just lying there not quite sleeping yet. It was peaceful and they felt like there was nowhere else they'd rather be.

* * *

 **Author's note: I guess I put the part about the kids in because I'm feeling like it's very unlikely that L/L will have kids in the revival and that makes me sad. I wanted to show that I think they really did want kids together and it will take me a little while to get over it if they don't have any kids in the revival, I can't help it…**

 **Thank you for reading. Please feel free to leave a review/feedback and let me know what you think.**


	26. New Year New Beginnings

Logan and Rory spent New Year's Eve in Tokyo. After having dinner, they returned to their hotel to spend the evening alone. Rory was falling asleep in the bed. She was exhausted from all the traveling.

"Rory wake up." Logan whispered.

"No." She groaned.

"It's almost midnight." Logan began kissing her face and down her neck.

Rory opened her eyes. She smiled softly, "You want me to be awake for midnight?"

"Yeah and then we can both sleep, I promise." Logan replied.

"Okay." Rory sat up slowly.

The clock in the room read 11:50.

"Come on," Logan wanted her to get out of bed.

"Hey. I never said I would get out of bed."

"Fine. We'll stay in bed." Logan moved the pillows against the headboard.

They sat back and waited for the minutes to pass by.

"Hey Ace?" Logan said gently.

Rory turned her face to him.

"I'm glad you came on this trip with me."

"Me too," She reached out and ran her hand over his hair. They had had a fun time on the trip. They experienced new things and they grew closer during the past few days. Rory had sent Lorelai a few emails to keep in touch and Lorelai had sent replies. Rory was so happy that she had decided to go on this trip. It had really helped her relax and she was happy to be spending some alone time with Logan.

At 11:59, they both started counting down in their heads, when they got to ten seconds, they counted out loud. At midnight on the dot, Logan pulled Rory close and kissed her deeply.

They kept kissing until they had to pull apart to breathe. Rory rested her forehead against his.

"I love you Rory Gilmore." He breathed.

"I love you too." She gave him another kiss before she pulled back.

They were asleep minutes later.

* * *

Many hours later, Luke and Lorelai were ringing in the New Year. They stayed home snuggled up on the couch watching movies. It was a cold night. Luke was drifting off.

Lorelai had her head against his shoulder and she felt his head slump forward.

"Don't fall asleep hon, you'll miss it."

Luke lifted his head and opened his eyes. He blinked a few times. "Miss what?" He asked. The movie they were watching had just ended, the credits beginning.

"The start of the new year,"

"Oh."

"And you won't get your new year's kiss."

"Hmm?" Luke rubbed her shoulder.

"And if you fall asleep you don't get to come up to bed with me." She teased.

"Is that so?"

She nodded then kissed his chin. Then she kissed his cheek, his temple and made her way to his upper neck. When she nibbled on his earlobe he let out a low moan.

She pulled away and smiled at him. He pulled her closer and she rested her head on his shoulder again.

He lifted his arm and looked at his watch. "Two minutes." He told her.

She had closed her eyes. She looked comfortable and he couldn't help but smile at the sight.

When he whispered that there were ten seconds before midnight, she lifted her head and counted down the remaining seconds. As soon as midnight stoke, she whispered "Happy New Year."

"Happy New Year" He said. He cupped her check and brought his lips to hers. They kissed tenderly for a couple minutes. Lorelai pulled back and buried her face in his chest.

"You okay?" He asked.

She pulled her face away. "Yep, I'm happy."

"Let's go upstairs." He mumbled after a minute had passed.

"Mmm okay," She pulled back and got up slowly. He followed her and they headed upstairs.

* * *

The next morning, Lorelai woke up to find the bed empty. When she reached for him and found cold sheets, she panicked for a second. Then she remembered that he sometimes woke up earlier to make breakfast. She got out of bed and put on her robe.

As she made her way to the kitchen, the smell of bacon cooking got stronger. She found Luke in front of the stove.

"Good morning." She said sweetly.

"Morning," He glanced at her for a second before focusing on cooking again.

She walked up to the stove and stood next to him, waiting for him to look at her again. When he did she leaned in for a quick kiss.

He told her that breakfast would be ready soon so she sat at the table and waited. After they ate, she got up to help with the dishes.

When she reached for the spatula, he was surprised. "You're gonna help me with the dishes?"

"Yes." She said simply.

"Really? You never help."

"Hey, I like doing dishes." She held out the spatula to him. "Or maybe I want to have a spatula fight."

"A spatula fight?" He was not amused.

"Yeah, kind of like a sword fight. Here." She dug through a drawer, pulling out another spatula. She held it out to him.

He took it from her. "I'm not going to have a fight with you." He put the spatula on the counter and held out his hand to get her to give him the one she was holding so he could put it in the sink.

"You're admitting defeat!" Lorelai yelled. She took a step closer to him and tried to hit him but he stepped back.

"Hey." He said. When she tried to hit him again, he debated picking up the discarded spatula. "Lorelai," He warned.

"It's fun. Rory and I used to do this when she was younger. It's not like we would actually use the spatulas for cooking. I don't even know why we have a spatula. One of them is yours." She smiled. "But we had two back then too…"

Luke picked up the spatula, held it in front of him. Lorelai grinned and hit her spatula against his. He didn't smile.

"Lorelai this is ridiculous. We're too old to be doing this."

Lorelai stuck her tongue out at him and ran behind him. Before he could move, she hit his backside with the spatula.

"Lorelai," He said wearily but he laughed.

She laughed too and hit him again, his arm this time. He turned and quickly grabbed the spatula from her hand.

"Aw you're no fun." She tried to take back the spatula but he held it tightly.

Luke didn't answer her; he put the clean spatula back in the drawer then walked back over to her.

"I made you laugh, you were having fun." She stated.

"I know." He said gently. He cupped her chin with one hand and gave her a short but sweet kiss. "Let's get the dishes done."

"Okay." She reluctantly conceded. He washed the dishes and she dried them.

Rory returned home the next day and spent one day recovering from jet lag before she had to go back to Yale. Lorelai and Luke were happy to have her home. A late Christmas present from Christopher arrived in the mail. It was a book that Rory had already read and she already owned it so she gave it to the Goodwill in New Haven.

* * *

A week later, Lorelai had her final radiation treatment. A little bit after that, she was called in to receive the results of the treatment. Rory was at Yale and would be coming home later that night. Luke went to the hospital with Lorelai. They both let out a breath as they stepped into Stephanie's office.

"It's good news, don't worry." Stephanie said.

Lorelai gave her a small smile and took a seat. Luke sat next to her and offered his hand to her. She took it, entwined her fingers with his.

Stephanie looked at both of them and gave a slight nod. "I'm pleased to tell you that you're official cancer free, Lorelai." She smiled.

The news took a few seconds to sink in. Luke dropped Lorelai's hand and shot up out of his chair then looked down at Lorelai. She also stood up and once she was standing he embraced her. He pulled her away from the chairs and picked her up, spinning her around a bit. He made sure that she didn't bump into anything and set her down gently.

Lorelai pulled away from Luke but he kept an arm around her waist.

"Are you sure?" Lorelai asked her voice a little shaky.

"Yes." Stephanie answered with another nod.

Lorelai smiled brightly as she felt tears prick her eyes. Luke took her hand and squeezed it.

"Thank you." Luke said to Stephanie.

"Yes, thank you so much. There are no words." Lorelai marveled.

"You're welcome."

Lorelai stepped away from Luke and walked over to Stephanie. She gave the oncologist a hug.

Luke walked over and shook Stephanie's hand.

"You'll need to come in for check-ups every once and a while, but you're in remission. Congratulations." Stephanie told Lorelai

"Thanks again." Lorelai couldn't describe all the emotions she was feeling. She couldn't wait to tell Rory in person.

Luke and Lorelai said their goodbyes to Stephanie and left the hospital. When they were stopped at a red light on the way home, Luke took Lorelai's hand and kissed it. She grinned at him. It was the biggest smile he had seen on her face in months. It was probably even bigger than when he proposed.

"We can start planning our wedding soon." She said quietly.

"That's right." He smiled.

* * *

At home, Lorelai took in a deep breath. "It's weird, I feel like I'm breathing in new air. Now that I'm not sick, everything seems brighter and better."

Luke noticed she was crying. He knew they were happy tears but he still pulled her into his arms. They hugged fiercely. Lorelai let her tears fall on his shirt.

"Love you." She whispered.

"Love you too." He whispered back.

They shared a few kisses then pulled apart. Looking around the living room, Luke asked what she wanted to do while they waited for Rory to get home.

"Take a nap." Lorelai responded. She was exhilarated and exhausted at the same time.

"I could go for a nap too." Luke admitted.

"Well come on then. " She took his hand and led him upstairs.

They changed their clothes and lied down on the bed. When sleep didn't come a half hour later, they just lied there in each other's arms, content. Sleep eventually came and they woke up a few hours later, an hour before Rory was due to arrive home.

* * *

 **Author's note: Thank you for reading, reviewing, following and favouriting this story. I really appreciate it. I'm saving Rory's return for the next chapter. I'm thinking there will only be 3 or 4 more chapters of this story.**

 **Please feel free to leave a review and let me know what you think of this chapter.**


	27. Spreading The News

Rory stepped inside the house and called out for Lorelai. When there was no answer, she looked at her watch and saw that it was after nine o' clock. She wondered if Lorelai and Luke were sleeping. Rory headed to her room but stopped walking when she heard someone coming downstairs.

"Rory!" Lorelai yelled.

Before Rory could answer her, Lorelai had tackled her in an embrace.

"Oh," Rory gasped. She hugged Lorelai back. "I missed you too but you know I was only gone for a week."

"I know but I have something exciting to tell you." Lorelai pulled back but kept her hands on Rory's shoulders.

"What is it?" Rory asked.

"Guess."

"No just tell me." Rory smiled. She could tell that Lorelai was very happy about something.

Lorelai took a breath. "Okay." She looked Rory in the eye. "I'm officially cancer free!"

Rory grinned. "Oh my god! That's amazing! I can't believe it!" She hugged Lorelai.

Lorelai laughed softly. "Believe it." They hugged each other for a long time.

Luke came downstairs and smiled at the sight. Rory saw him over Lorelai's shoulder and smiled at him. She pulled away.

"Hey Luke," She greeted him.

"Hey Rory, how was the drive?"

"Fine, the traffic wasn't too bad."

"That's good."

Lorelai looked back and forth between them and frowned. "Why are you two talking about traffic when we should be celebrating?"

Luke smirked and Rory laughed. Lorelai gestured for Luke to come closer.

"Get over here, we should have a family hug." She said.

"I don't know I mean-"Luke protested but Rory cut him off:

"Come on, you're family Luke. You've been family for years."

Luke smiled at that and stepped closer to them. His arm came around Lorelai and Rory put her arm around him then he put his other arm around her. They stood like that for a minute, happy.

"Does anyone else know?" Rory asked.

"Nope, just you and Luke, I want to tell everyone in person." Lorelai answered.

"Then tomorrow will be a busy day."

Lorelai nodded. "Which is why I'm going to bed after I get caught up with you."

"There isn't much to tell you."

"Well just tell me how your classes are and how Paris is…" Lorelai led Rory to the couch, talking a mile a minute.

Luke headed back upstairs to give the girls some alone time.

After Rory and Lorelai chatted for a bit, Rory gently nudged Lorelai,

"Hey now you can start planning the wedding."

Lorelai grinned. "I know."

"Once you have the date set we can go dress shopping and pick out the flowers and oh! Get invitations made." Rory said excitedly.

The smile on Lorelai's face didn't fade. "Hey, will you be my maid of honour?" She asked gently.

"Oh mom, I'd be honored… I just thought you'd want Sookie to be your matron of honour."

Lorelai shook her head. "I want you as my maid of honour."

Rory smiled softly. "Okay." She whispered. She thought for a second before she asked:  
"Are you going to wear a veil?"

"Hmm I don't know, maybe." Lorelai thought about it and remembered that Emily said she might want to consider a tiara. "Maybe a tiara would be nice."

"Maybe," Rory looked at Lorelai. "You should get some sleep."

"Yeah I guess so, I took a nap before you got here but I still feel tired… but I'm also exhilarated."

"Well at least try to get some sleep." Rory kissed Lorelai's cheek. "Good night Mom."

"Night hon." After Rory headed to her room, Lorelai got up and slowly headed upstairs.

She found Luke lying on the bed. His eyes were closed but the lamp was on.

"Still awake babe?" She whispered as she slipped into the bed.

He opened his eyes and took a breath when she curled up to him.

"Today was a great day." She said softly.

"Mmm hmm." He agreed.

"And there are only more great days to come."

"Yep." He murmured. His eyes were closing.

"Like our wedding day." She whispered.

"Right," He whispered back. He traced circles on her back.

"Goodnight." She said turning her head to give him a kiss.

He made the kiss last longer, pressing his lips firmly to hers. She smiled against his lips and gave him another soft kiss before she pulled away.

"Night," He said when she had settled next to him after turning off the lamp.

* * *

The three of them had a big breakfast the next morning. Once they were finished eating, they quickly got dressed and headed out. Lorelai wanted to tell Sookie first, so she made sure to get to her house early enough so that she wouldn't have already left for work.

Lorelai knocked and they waited for Sookie or Jackson to answer.

"Jackson, can you get the door?! I'm feeding Martha!" They heard Sookie yell.

"Who's here so early in the morning?" Jackson asked.

"I don't know! Just answer the door please!"

"Maybe we came here too early…" Rory muttered.

"It's fine. Sookie will be so thrilled with the news; she won't care how early it is." Lorelai said.

The door opened and Jackson stood there blinking at them. He was wearing one of his farming outfits.

"Oh hi guys. What brings you here so early?" Jackson was calm. He didn't seem to be angry.

"I've got some good news and I need to tell Sookie, you and Sookie." Lorelai said.

"Jackson? Who is it?" Sookie called out.

"It's Lorelai, Rory and Luke."

"Oh, let them in."

"That's what I was doing." Jackson stepped aside and let them in. He ushered them to sit in the living room and told them he would go get Sookie.

Sookie came downstairs a few minutes later, Jackson on her heels carrying Martha.

"Hi guys. Jackson said you have some news?"

Lorelai smiled and nodded. "Sit down, actually no wait stand because you're gonna end up hugging me." She stood.

"Oh," Sookie gasped. She stared at Lorelai. "Just tell me!" She insisted.

"Okay, okay." Lorelai smiled. "As of yesterday, I'm cancer free."

Sookie stared at Lorelai for a few seconds; it took a bit for the news to hit her. "Oh my god! Oh my god!" She reached out and pulled Lorelai to her.

"That's amazing." Sookie said in Lorelai's ear.

"I know." Lorelai whispered back.

"I'm so happy! I have to cook something for you to celebrate and oh! I should bake a cake too!" Sookie jumped up and down a little bit, Lorelai joined in. She suddenly grasped Lorelai's hands.

"And you and Luke can set a date!" She squealed glancing at Luke. He stood up and stepped next to Lorelai. He figured Sookie might want to hug him too.

Sookie gave Luke a quick hug and gestured for Rory to stand up and she hugged her too.

"This is just so… ah I'm…" Sookie just grinned.

"I know, we're ecstatic," Lorelai crowed.

"Does everyone know?" Sookie asked.

"No. Just everyone in this room," Lorelai replied.

"Oh you didn't tell you parents yet?" Jackson questioned.

"No we're going there next."

"Oh so we were the first ones you told…"

"Yes. Besides Rory and Luke of course,"

"Oh honey we're touched that you told us first but you better go tell your parents." Sookie said slowly.

"I will." Lorelai assured them.

Sookie pulled her into another hug. "I'm so happy for you."

"Thanks." Lorelai felt herself tear up a little.

They said their goodbyes, telling Sookie and Jackson that they would see them soon.

* * *

On the drive to the Gilmore residence, Lorelai took Luke's hand and when he tried to pull it away she held on tighter.

"I need both of my hands on the wheel." He said sternly.

"Sorry." She dropped his hand.

"Are you okay?" He asked.

Rory gave her a concerned look.

"I'm just anxious for some reason." Lorelai responded.

"But you can tell Grandma and Grandpa the good news. They're going to be thrilled." Rory said.

"I know." Lorelai gave her a small smile. "I just feel a little strange for some reason. I don't know… I'm sure it will pass."

Luke remained silent, he listened but focused on the road, he knew Lorelai would be okay.

When they arrived at the house, Rory went ahead and waited at the front door. Lorelai stopped and looked around. Luke put his arm around and pressed a quick kiss to the top of her head.

"Let's go." She said with a smile. She knew Emily and Richard would be happy to hear the news. She couldn't understand why she felt so anxious.

They stepped next to Rory and she glanced at them before she knocked on the door.

Emily opened the door a minute later. "Oh, were we expecting you?"

Lorelai frowned. "Um no but I have some news." She looked at Emily and added, "Good news."

"Oh, all right, come on in." Emily said.

The three of them stepped inside.

"Your father isn't here and I just fired the maid so it's been a rough morning so far." Emily informed them.

"Oh I'm sorry Mom." Lorelai said sincerely. "But this news will make you feel better, trust me."

Emily just nodded as she took a seat in the living room. Lorelai, Luke and Rory sat across from her.

"I'm officially cancer free." Lorelai said, smiling.

"Really?" Emily seemed to have trouble believing it.

"Really, my oncologist told me. I'm in remission."

"That's wonderful…" Emily lifted her hand to her face. She started to cry. "I wish your father was here to hear this."

"Well why don't you call him?"

"You don't want to tell him in person?"

"No that's okay. You can just put him on speaker phone."

"All right," Emily got up and walked over to the phone. She looked at Lorelai before she picked up the phone and they shared a smile.

"Hello Richard… yes I know you're busy but Lorelai is here and she has some good news… she told me already but you need to hear it… yes I'll put you on speaker phone."

Lorelai got up and walked over to the table with the phone. She cleared her throat and said:

"Hi Dad,"

"Hello Lorelai. How are you? Your mother tells me that you have some news."

"Yes, I… I'm cancer free." Lorelai said, choking up a little even though she had cleared her throat.

Richard was silent for about a minute. "Well, that's wonderful. We'll have to celebrate tonight."

"Yeah," Lorelai said gently. A couple tears fell from her eyes.

"All right so I'll see you and Rory and Luke tonight. I have to get back to work but thank you for telling me your news. My day has brightened." Richard sounded emotional.

"You're welcome Dad." Lorelai almost said 'I love you' but she couldn't get it out.

Richard hung up. Emily looked at Lorelai and Lorelai gave her a weak smile.

"Oh my I'll have to hire a new maid and tell our cook to make your favourite meal and…" Emily trailed off.

"Mom," Lorelai said to get her attention.

Emily turned to her.

"Thank you for being here these past few months. It really means a lot. I couldn't have gotten through this without you and Dad, really."

"You're welcome." Emily's voice shook a little. "Thank you for letting us in."

"You're welcome." Lorelai said in a low voice.

"So I'll tell the cook to make your favourite meal?"

Lorelai smiled, "Yeah, sure."

Rory got up suddenly and she walked over to Emily. She wrapped her arms around her grandmother, holding her close. Lorelai saw her whisper something in her ear.

Emily nodded and whispered something back. Luke also gave her his thanks. They chatted a bit before they left to return later that night.

* * *

The drive home was mostly silent. When they returned home, they saw Babette and Morey heading out.

"Do you want to tell them now?" Luke asked.

"I might as well and it will spread around town in no time if I tell Babette."

"Is it all right if I go tell Lane?" Rory asked.

"Of course hon,"

"Okay, see you later." Rory gave Lorelai a quick hug.

Luke took Lorelai's hand and they walked over to Babette and Morey just as they got to the end of their lawn.

"Hiya you two," Babette greeted them.

"Hey Babette, Morey, how are you?" Luke said.

"We're good sugah, and yourself?" Babette turned her gaze to Lorelai.

"Well I actually got some great news yesterday, I'm cancer free."

"What? That's great Lorelai! I can't wait to tell everyone!" Babette cried.

Lorelai grinned as Babette's face changed.

"Wait, I can tell people, right?" Babette sounded worried.

"Yeah sure, feel free to spread it around town." Lorelai said with a wave of her hand.

Babette smiled. "This is really wonderful, I'm so happy for you. For both of you," She gently hit Luke's arm. "Your wedding's going to be beautiful."

Luke smiled at Babette then at Lorelai. She could feel his eyes on her so she turned and flashed him a smile.

"We'll we better head inside, it's getting cold." Lorelai said as she squeezed Luke's hand.

"All right, have a good night." Morey said as he held out his arm to Babette.

"You too," Lorelai said.

They said their goodbyes and Luke and Lorelai headed inside. Once they were inside, Lorelai quickly stripped her coat, hat and boots.

Luke barely had his coat off before Lorelai was pulling him by the arm.

"Ow, what are you doing?"

"Sorry I just-"She kissed him then smiled up at him. "We only have a limited amount of alone time here."

"Oh," Luke muttered.

Lorelai gestured for him to take his boots off. He did but he looked at her once he had them off.

"Are you sure you… I mean we don't have to." He stammered.

"I'm sure." She didn't feel tired or anything.

He reached out and brushed her chin with his thumb. She closed her eyes and waited for his kiss.

He slowly brought his lips to hers and kissed her softly. When he pulled away she kept her eyes closed.

"Come on." He whispered as he took her hand and led her upstairs.

Once they were in the bedroom, Lorelai shut the door behind them and pulled Luke close. They kissed slowly and passionately. Clothing was shed and they made their way to the bed.

When they lied on the bed, Lorelai suddenly turned her head, feeling shy. They hadn't made love since she had the lumpectomy. She felt self-conscious.

Luke kissed her neck and kissed down her body to her belly button. "You're beautiful." He whispered softly.

She blushed and put her hand on his head and ran her fingers through his hair. He looked into her eyes before he brought his lips back to hers.

* * *

 **Author's Note: I feel like this is a strange place to end the chapter but I didn't really know what else to add…  
Thanks for reading. Reviews are encouraged. **


	28. Plans

A few hours later, Lorelai, Rory and Luke returned to the Gilmore house for dinner. Richard opened the door and greeted them warmly. He shook Luke's hand and hugged Rory. When he stood awkwardly in front of Lorelai, she initiated a hug. It was comforting, she thought. After all these years of having practically no physical contact with her parents, it was nice.

The five of them sat in the living room for drinks. Emily asked if Lorelai and Luke had any plans for a vacation or a getaway.

"Um no, I was thinking we would just start planning the wedding. And I'm going back to the Inn soon."

"Oh, are you going to be working full time?" Emily wondered.

"Part time at first to see what I can handle, but I think I should be fine."

"How about you Luke? Are you going to be reopening the diner soon?" Richard asked.

"Uh yeah, I'm probably going to do that within the next week or so." Luke said slowly.

"It's good that you're going to be getting back into a routine, I find that routine is best." Richard said.

Lorelai and Luke just nodded.

Emily looked to be contemplating something before she spoke, "Did you tell Christopher the news?"

"I called him a couple of hours ago." Rory muttered. She looked at Lorelai. "I hope that's okay."

"Of course," Lorelai replied.

"He said he wanted to come visit but I told him that I would come see him."

"Oh well he could come here, I think that'd be fine…" Lorelai glanced at Luke. "Would you be okay with that hon?"

Luke bit his lip. "That'd be fine."

Lorelai noticed his discomfort. "Actually you can tell your dad that he can just call me. There's no need for him to come here." She grasped Luke's hand then dropped it. He gave her a grateful look.

Richard changed the topic to Yale. An hour later they were finished dinner.

"Would you like dessert?" Emily asked.

"Sure. When have I ever _not_ wanted dessert?" Lorelai said.

"It's nothing fancy, just apple pie."

"That's fine Mom. I love pie, all kinds of pie. I'd marry pie if I could." Lorelai glanced at Luke who raised his eyebrows. "I'd marry you first of course."

Rory smiled, observing them. She felt so happy to be with her family. Everyone was in a good mood and they had a reason to celebrate. Lorelai caught her eye and grinned at her.

They said their goodbyes a half hour later. Lorelai told Emily that she would let her know when the wedding planning started. She was planning on asking Luke about setting a date that night. Right before they stepped out the door, Richard asked if the hospital had received all of the payments for Lorelai's treatment.

"Yeah, as far as I know. They never told me otherwise. Don't worry about it, Dad."

Richard just nodded.

"Thanks." Lorelai said gently. The three of them left.

* * *

When they got home, Rory's cell phone rang.

"It's Logan."

"Answer it." Lorelai said with a small smile.

"Okay but I'm probably going to bed after I talk to him so…" Rory trailed off.

"So we'll see you tomorrow morning." Lorelai reached out and tucked a strand of hair behind Rory's ear. "Goodnight sweets."

Rory smiled softly. "Night mom," She knew that there was no need to worry. Lorelai would be there in the morning. She wouldn't be at the hospital or anywhere else. Everything was good again. It was a huge relief.

"Damn it." Luke said suddenly after Rory had gone to her room.

"What's wrong?" Lorelai asked, confused.

"We never called Mia… to tell her the news."

"Oh yeah… well it's still kind of early there. We could call her now."

Luke nodded. "Yeah, let's do that."

He walked over to the phone and Lorelai followed. He held out the phone to her.

"You should call. You've known Mia longer." She said.

He shook his head. "It's your news to tell."

"All right," Lorelai took the phone and dialed Mia's number.

Mia answered on the second ring. "Hello?"

"Hi Mia, it's Lorelai."

"Oh Lorelai, How are you dear? And how are Rory and Luke?"

"Great, we'll all great. I've got some news. And how are you Mia?"

"I'm just fine. Tell me your news."

"Okay." Lorelai took a breath. "I'm cancer free."

Mia was silent.

"Mia?"

"Lorelai, oh that's wonderful, so good to hear." Mia sounded choked up.

Lorelai took another deep breath. She tried to hold back her tears. "Thanks Mia. We're thrilled."

"I would imagine so."

Lorelai laughed softly. "I just wanted to call to let you know. Oh and uh I'll mail you a wedding invitation once we set a date and get all the invitations ready… and…" She stopped. "I just can't wait to see you again Mia, and just imagine, it will be for my wedding!"

Luke watched Lorelai speak with a big dopey grin on his face. He couldn't help it. Seeing her tell everyone the good news felt great. There were no words to describe what he was feeling.

"Yeah Mia, I'll tell them. Okay, bye." Lorelai hung up.

Lorelai looked at Luke. He was still smiling. "Mia says hi."

Luke just reached out and put an arm around her waist, pulling her to him.

He kissed her softly. She grinned and pulled him in for another kiss.

"What's gotten into you?" She said when she pulled back a little.

He squeezed her hip. "I just like seeing you so happy... and I'm uh excited for the wedding."

"Are you just excited or _really_ excited? Because I'm really excited," She smirked. "Even more excited than I was for the Inn opening."

"Shh," He muttered, leaning in again to kiss her. They kissed slowly.

When he pulled away, she sighed softly and rested her head against his chest. He automatically rubbed her back.

"Ready for bed?" She asked.

"Yeah," He replied simply.

They headed upstairs without saying another word.

* * *

Meanwhile, Rory talked to Logan. She had already left him a message about Lorelai, but he hadn't gotten back to her yet. After they talked about Lorelai for a bit, the topic changed to school.

"I can't believe you're graduating in a few months." Rory said.

"Yeah, I'm _finally_ graduating you mean. If I hadn't slacked off for a couple of years I could have already graduated by now."

"Hey you just needed more time to be young for a while. You weren't ready for university." Rory said gently.

"You didn't even know me then Ace."

"True, but I can imagine what you were like."

"Oh yeah? And what's that?"

"What you were like when I first met you, a jerk, an ass, frat boy, lowlife, and a miscreant."

Logan laughed. "I remember you calling me those before, but I think you left out a few."

"You're right, I think I did. But I can't remember them."

"Hmm, well do you want to know what I thought of you when we first met?"

"Sure." Rory smiled.

"I thought you were cute. No, very cute,"

"Cute?"

"Okay pretty, very pretty." Logan assured.

"I thought you were quick to judge me, but I also could tell that you were smart. You seemed to know a lot… I could tell that you were meant to go to Yale."

"But I wanted to go to Harvard since I was a toddler. It changed to Yale later."

"I know, you've told me that." He reminded her.

"Oh."

"And you were just so… interesting. I really wanted to get to know you. I was a little scared though. I could tell that you weren't exactly fond of me and that I wasn't really your type."

"But that changed." Rory said softly.

"I guess so." Rory could tell that Logan was smiling.

"And my view of you has changed too. You're a great guy, Logan Huntzberger." Rory said gently.

"Thank you. You're not so bad yourself." Logan teased.

"You'll be my date for my mom's wedding right?" Rory asked suddenly.

"Of course, just tell me the date and I'll be there."

"No date yet, but I think they'll set one sooner rather than later."

"That's good… I better get going."

"Oh okay. I'll see you in a couple of days."

"Love you."

"…love you too." Rory was surprised that he had said it first.

"Bye."

"Bye, goodnight."

They hung up.

* * *

Luke and Lorelai were having trouble getting to sleep. She sighed and turned on the lamp.

"Why can't we sleep?" She asked.

Luke turned to face her. He shrugged.

She smirked, "I know! We should set a wedding date!"

"Now?" He asked.

"Yeah, why not?" Lorelai got out of bed and picked up her purse. She took out her day planner then walked back over to the bed and sat down.

Luke sat up. He blinked a few times. Lorelai started flipping through the calendar. There was practically nothing written on the dates since she hadn't been to the Inn in a while. She had no idea if there were any big events coming up.

"What do you think about a spring wedding?" She asked Luke.

"That sounds fine." Luke said, his voice toneless.

"I was thinking late May."

"Sounds good," Luke said more enthusiastically. Then he looked at her thoughtfully. "Is that going to be enough time to plan?"

"I think so… and I was thinking why not just have it at the Dragonfly?"

Luke smiled at that. "Yeah, that'd be nice."

"I'd just have to make sure that nothing else is planned for that day." She looked at the month of May. "May 20th looks good."

Luke nodded, agreeing. He was just happy that they already had a date.

"It's perfect, the Dragonfly, because it's the place where we had our first kiss." Lorelai said dreamily.

"I remember." Luke would never forget that day.

Lorelai moved closer to him and kissed his cheek. "Okay we can go to bed now. I feel… settled."

Luke raised his eyebrow at her. "Good." He said quietly.

She turned off the lamp and lied down. He wrapped an arm around her and pressed a kiss to her shoulder. "Night," He whispered.

"Night," She whispered back.

* * *

The next morning, Luke decided that he wanted to start preparing the diner for the reopening. Lorelai asked if she could come with him. He had no complaints.

Rory was only staying one more day before she would go back to Yale. She slept in while Luke and Lorelai went to the diner. Lorelai left a note for her. She figured that Rory might want to spend the day with Lane.

When they stepped in the diner, Lorelai watched as Luke looked around. He seemed to be a little overwhelmed. She took his hand.

"You okay babe?"

"Yeah, I just… it's weird being in here after so long." He looked towards the stairs. "I haven't even slept her in so long."

Lorelai gave him a sad smile. "You lived here and worked here every day for so many years and then you quit for a few months and now you're going to reopen. It must feel at least a little overwhelming."

Luke chuckled a little, "Yeah, it's a lot."

"I'll help you. Let's start by cleaning up a little."

"Okay." Luke accepted her help.

They swept the floors, cleaned the counters and tables. Then Luke went to the storeroom to check his food stock while Lorelai threw out some expired food in the kitchen.

Lorelai went to go check on Luke, but she didn't find him in the storeroom. She headed up to the apartment. Luke was sitting at the table, not doing anything.

"Hey, how did the store room work out?"

Luke slowly turned his head to face her. "Hmm? Oh uh there's mostly non-perishable items in there but I had to throw out a few things."

Lorelai sat next to him. She put a hand on his arm. "You really seem distracted. Wanna talk?"

He glanced at her and took a few seconds to speak. "I was just remembering how this was where you told me…" He stopped, feeling a little choked up.

"Where I told you?" Lorelai didn't know what he was talking about.

"You told me that you had cancer." He finished. He looked down.

"Oh," She whispered. She rubbed his arm. She could tell that he would never forget that awful day, just like she wouldn't.

They were silent for a couple minutes, lost in their thoughts.

"But I also have a lot of good memories that took place here." Luke said, bringing his gaze back to her.

She smiled brightly. "Me too. There are way more happy memories here than bad ones."

He stood up suddenly. She gave him a questioning look. He gestured for her to stand up. She did.

She gasped softly as he pulled her into his arms. "Luke." She said gently.

She knew he wanted a hug for comfort and she sighed as she began rubbing his back.

They held each other for a minute before he pulled back and kissed her cheek then her temple.

His arms stayed around her and she rested a hand on his cheek.

"Hey, smile, we made it through these past months and now we're going to get married and spend the rest of our lives together." She said, looking into his eyes.

His eyes brightened and he gave her a small smile. "I'm so lucky to have you." He said, his voice raw with emotion.

She smiled back, "And I'm so lucky to have _you_."

He brought his hand up to her face and cupped her chin. Their lips met in a deep kiss.

When they pulled apart, she took his hand. "Come on, let's finish up here and head back home."

"Okay." He said.

* * *

Once they finished up in the diner, they walked home hand in hand. When they returned home, they found Lane and Rory sitting in the living room.

"Lorelai!" Lane cried as she walked over to greet her. "It's so good to see you." She said after they had shared a quick hug.

"It's good to see you too, sweetie." Lorelai said.

"Congratulations Luke, to both of you. Your wedding is going to be the biggest one this town has ever seen. Everyone is so thrilled." Lane said.

Lorelai and Luke smiled at that.

"The diner should be up and running in the next few days so you can have your job back." Luke told Lane.

"That's great. I mean I managed without it, but it will be good to get back to my job." Lane replied.

The four of them sat down and chatted. Lane didn't tell Luke and Lorelai what she and Rory had been discussing when they walked in. The town was planning a celebratory party for Lorelai.

* * *

 **Author's note: Thanks for reviewing, favouriting, following and reading this story.  
As always, reviews are appreciated. **


	29. The Dress and Something Borrowed

Two weeks later was the day of the surprise party for Lorelai. Miss Patty and Babette were in charge of the planning and the party would take place at the dance studio. Rory decided to let Luke in on it so he could provide some of the food. Sookie would be bringing the rest.

Luke thought it was a great idea. He knew that the town wanted to show their love for Lorelai. They weren't really involved with everything during the last several months and they wanted a way to show they cared. Luke knew Lorelai would be thrilled and overwhelmed by the party. He was excited for it.

On the night of the party, Rory and Luke set up a plan. They made Lorelai think that she would just be attending a town meeting, the first one since she revealed her diagnosis to the town. Rory told them she would meet them there. It was her job to make sure everything was set up and everyone was there before Luke brought Lorelai there. She told Luke to bring Lorelai a half hour after she left.

"But why don't we all go together?" Lorelai asked.

"Well, I'm going to visit Lane first." Rory said quickly.

Lorelai bought it. "Oh okay." She shrugged.

Rory said goodbye and rushed out of the house. Luke and Lorelai stayed at home for bit as planned. They walked into town hand in hand. When Lorelai saw that no one was heading into Patty's, her brow furrowed.

"Is everyone already in there? Are we late?" She wondered.

Luke looked at his watch. "No, we're right on time."

Lorelai pulled on his hand to get him to walk faster. She didn't believe him. His smile grew as they approached the dance studio. He reached out and pulled the door open for her.

"Ladies first," He said rather loudly so that the townies could hear them entering.

Lorelai smiled sweetly and stepped inside the studio.

"SURPRISE!" Everyone shouted at once. Luke was a little surprised that they hadn't messed it up.

Lorelai gasped. "Oh! Wow is this… a surprise party for us? An engagement party?"

Babette came over to her. "It's a celebration for you dollface. To celebrate the fact that you're cancer free,"

"And to celebrate your engagement," Miss Patty chimed in.

Lorelai put a hand on her heart. "I thought this was just going to be a town meeting. You guys really didn't have to have a party. I'm touched." She felt tears welling up in her eyes.

"We wanted to do it sweetie." Miss Patty gave Lorelai a big hug.

Lorelai grinned. Luke stood next to her and looked over the room, smiling. Rory made her way through the crowd.

"Were you surprised?" Rory asked.

"Yes, _very_ surprised." Lorelai said. She looked at Luke. "You knew about this, didn't you?"

Luke nodded and put his arm over her shoulder and rubbed her back gently.

"I can't believe you guys." Lorelai looked from him to Rory to the townies.

"Come on, let's party!" Babette exclaimed.

Lorelai laughed then cheered. Rory grinned, happy to see her mother so excited.

They walked around the room to greet everyone. Kirk startled Lorelai by embracing her.

"It's so good to see you Lorelai!" He said.

"Thanks Kirk." Lorelai awkwardly patted his back.

Lulu came to pull Kirk away. She also told Lorelai that it was nice to see her.

When Taylor came up to them, Lorelai was a little worried about what he'd say. She thought he might disapprove of the party.

"Lorelai, how are you?"

"Sorry, I can't hear you Taylor." It was hard to hear over the music.

Rory gestured for Lane, who was the DJ to turn down the music a little.

"I said how are you?"

"I'm good. You? You're not going to shut down the party are you?" Lorelai pouted.

"No, no. The party planners came to me first to make sure everything was in order and I'm fine." Taylor nodded curtly.

Lorelai smiled at him. "Try to have fun, okay Taylor?"

Taylor looked away for a second, frowning. He looked back at Lorelai. "I'm glad you're okay." He said sincerely.

"Thanks Taylor. That means a lot, really." Lorelai smiled again.

Taylor gave her a small smiled then walked away.

Lorelai and Rory danced for a bit. Lorelai wondered where Luke wandered off to.

"Did you see where my man went?" She asked Rory when they had sat down.

Rory looked around the room then pointed. Luke was standing with Miss Patty. Lorelai gulped nervously. She knew Miss Patty was sort of dangerous in a way; that she needed to pull Luke away fast.

Rory raised her eyebrows.

"I better go get him." Lorelai said. She got up and quickly walked over to where Luke and Miss Patty were.

"Hi you two," Lorelai said as she approached them. She put a hand on Luke's shoulder.

"Hi Lorelai, I was just telling Luke about my second husband, he kind of looked like him, a little scruffy, tall… well tall dark and handsome really."

"Is that so?" Lorelai said. She pulled Luke a little closer. "I was just coming over to get Luke. I was going to ask him he wanted to dance with me."

"Oh. You two have fun then. I won't stop you… I was going to ask, did you set a wedding date yet?"

"Yeah, we did." Lorelai said gently. She and Luke exchanged affectionate looks.

"That's great! When is it?"

"Um you know I think we'll just announce it later." Lorelai said.

"Oh all right." Miss Patty seemed a little disappointed.

Lorelai told Patty that they'd see her later and she guided Luke away.

Luke let out a sigh of relief when they were out of ear shot. "Thank you"

Lorelai smirked. "You weren't having fun with Miss Patty?"

"No." Luke deadpanned.

"You'd rather have fun with little old me?" She ran her hand down his chest.

Luke nodded. He leaned in for a kiss. Lorelai pressed her lips to his. It was a longer kiss than he had expected.

He caressed her cheek as he pulled back. She smiled at him.

"This is so… amazing." She breathed. "I can't believe everyone came together and arranged all this for us."

"For you," Luke said, not taking his eyes off hers.

"Did you help plan it?"

He shook his head. "Rory just told me the plan. It was the town that did all of the work. She helped too, but they planned everything."

"I went around thanking them all but I don't think saying thank you is enough." Lorelai sighed happily. "They're all coming to the wedding, you know." She said matter-of-factly.

Luke made a face but he knew there was no way he could stop any of the townies from coming to the wedding. "All of them really care for you and love you. That's all that matters." He said sincerely.

Lorelai smiled softly. "Yeah,"

The sound of the music stopping turned their attention to the front of the room. Rory was standing next to Lane. She had a microphone in her hand.

"Um I just wanted to change things up for a bit. Mom, Luke, I thought you two would like to share a dance to this song." Rory spoke into the mike.

Lane started the music again. It was slow song, Reflecting Light.

"Our song," Lorelai said softly. She felt herself tearing up again.

"Come on, let's dance crazy lady." Luke said. He held out his hand to her.

She took his hand and he led her to an open spot on the floor.

They danced slowly to the music, her head on his shoulder, one hand in his and the other resting on his other shoulder, his arm around her waist.

As the song ended, Lorelai whispered in Luke's ear: "I think we should use this song for our first dance," He responded by pressing a kiss to her temple. He agreed.

Liz came up to them a minute later. "Lorelai!" She shouted, pulling her into a hug.

"Hi Liz," Lorelai greeted, reciprocating the hug,

They chatted before Lorelai excused herself, wanting to find Rory. When she found her, she wanted to hug and kiss her.

"Rory!" Rory's back was to Lorelai. She tapped on her shoulder.

"There's the woman of the hour! Are you having fun, Mom?" Rory grinned.

"That was so sweet, Rory, stopping the music and playing that song for Luke and I. Thank you. Mommy loves you. You know that right?" Lorelai teased.

Rory giggled. "I'm glad you enjoyed it. I just wanted you and Luke to have a special moment. The party is mostly for you, but Luke deserves it too. He's done so much for you, for us."

Lorelai nodded. She was crying now. She thought of something suddenly, "Did you invite Grandma and Grandpa?"

"I did but they said they might not be able to make it."

"Oh. Well this isn't really their kind of thing anyway."

Luke came up to them then. He also thanked Rory for playing the song. She said there was no need to thank her. Lorelai said that they should get everyone's attention and thank them. Luke agreed.

They went to the front of the room, Lorelai holding the microphone. She tapped it to make sure it was working.

"Hey everyone,"

Everyone looked at them, smiles on their faces.

"We just wanted to thank you all for planning this and for coming tonight. There are no words to…" Lorelai got choked up. She took a deep breath. "You don't know how happy I am to call all of you my friends. The last eight months have been rough but everyone's love and support has really helped me. Thank you all so much."

Luke held Lorelai to his side for a few seconds before he took the mike from her. "I want to say thank you too. All of you were so understanding when I closed the diner and that really meant a lot. And since the diner's been up and running again, it's been nice to see you all, really. I'm proud to be a citizen of Stars Hollow. Thanks everyone."

Everyone clapped and cheered. A few of them yelled out "We love you."

Lorelai took back the mike and announced the wedding date. More cheers and applause ensued. The next couple hours were spent celebrating. Sookie and Jackson showed up later, they had left Martha and Davey with a neighbor. Lorelai and Sookie started discussing the wedding planning. Sookie vowed that she would be the caterer. Lorelai said that she wouldn't have it any other way.

* * *

The next three months were filled with wedding planning. On a Sunday afternoon, Lorelai, Rory, Emily and Sookie went wedding dress shopping. After trying on ten different dresses in two different shops, Lorelai was feeling a little hopeless.

"Let's just look in one more shop." Rory said.

"There's one more on the list." Lorelai said half-heartedly.

"Come on, perk up a little. I'm sure you'll find the perfect dress here." Sookie tried to cheer Lorelai up.

They stepped in the bridal shop and a sales associate helped them. Lorelai picked out two dresses to try on. Emily was very fond of one of them.

"But you haven't seen it on me yet." Lorelai pointed out.

"I know, I just think it will look nice on you." Emily replied. "Just try it on." She urged.

"All right, but I'm trying the other one on first." Lorelai went into the dressing room.

She came out a few minutes later. Before any of the women said a word, she groaned, "I hate it."

"Mom," Rory said gently. She felt bad. She had hoped Lorelai would've found the dress by now.

Lorelai looked in the mirror and reached up to touch her hair. It hadn't grown much, it was only just below her ears and it wasn't as thick as it was before chemo. She still missed her hair.

"So does anyone like this dress?" She asked.

When no one said anything, Lorelai sighed and headed back into the dressing room. The assistant was silent as she helped her get the dress off. She helped Lorelai into the other dress. Lorelai didn't ask how it looked before she stepped back out into the room.

Sookie and Rory gasped.

"What? Is it that bad? If it is I don't want to look in the mirror."

"No honey, it's beautiful. It fits you like a glove." Sookie told her.

Lorelai slowly turned her body to look in the full length mirror. She looked up and down, turned around and looked at the back. The dress did fit perfectly. She stared at herself in the mirror.

"Mom, it's gorgeous." Rory said.

Lorelai looked at Emily, waiting for her to share her opinion.

Emily got up to get a closer look at the dress. "It really is lovely, Lorelai. And it does fit you perfectly."

Lorelai looked back in the mirror and frowned. Something felt off. She suddenly remembered something. She walked over to Rory's chair and picked up her purse which was hanging on the back of it.

"What are you doing?" Rory asked.

Lorelai dug around in her purse until she felt what she was looking for. She pulled out a wig. She walked back over to the mirror and put the wig on, adjusting it a little. It was almost the exact colour of Lorelai's hair before and it was in a curly style.

"Mom," Rory didn't know what to say. She had no idea Lorelai had bought the wig.

Sookie was also speechless. Emily just stared at Lorelai.

"I just um wanted to see what a dress would look like on me with uh my old hair. This was the best wig I could find." She had bought it a week ago. She told Rory and Luke that she was going clothes shopping but she also wanted to find a wig.

"I think this is the dress." Lorelai decided.

"You think?" Sookie asked.

"Mom," Rory got up and stood next to Lorelai. Lorelai turned to face her. "You're beautiful with or without the wig. The dress is perfect and you're beautiful."

Lorelai nodded and touched Rory's face affectionately.

Emily came over to Lorelai's other side. "She's right. Lorelai you don't need the wig, but if you feel like you do then that's fine. You look beautiful though, either way."

"Thanks Mom." Lorelai said. She let out a breath. She couldn't decide if she really wanted to wear the wig on the wedding day.

Sookie also came to stand with them. "You're gorgeous." She said gently. "Luke is going to cry when he sees you, not matter what your hair looks like. You're stunning Lorelai."

"This is the dress, I'm sure. I'm not sure what I want to do with my hair…" She reached up and took the wig off. "Or not my hair," She smiled.

"Well there's still time to decide that." Rory said.

"Yep, I'm going to ask Luke for his opinion."

Sookie gasped. "You're not going to let him see the dress, are you?"

"No, of course not,"

Lorelai took one last look in the mirror then went back into the dressing room. After she changed, she told the sales associate that she would be buying the dress. After Lorelai payed for the dress and it was wrapped and put in a box, the three women headed home.

* * *

Sookie took her own car and headed back to Stars Hollow while Lorelai and Rory stayed in Hartford and followed Emily to the Gilmore residence.

"Lorelai, can I speak to you a moment while Lila makes the coffee?" Emily asked.

"Um sure," Lorelai answered. They left Rory in the living room. She understood why they needed alone time.

Lorelai followed Emily to her and Richard's bedroom. She watched as Emily picked up a box and put it on top of the bed. Before she moved to take anything out of it, she turned to Lorelai.

"I wanted to show you something, well ask you something."

"What is it?" Lorelai had no idea what her mother wanted.

Emily kept her eyes on Lorelai for a second before she turned back to the box. She pulled out something then turned back to Lorelai.

Emily held it up. It was a tiara. "This is the tiara I wore for my wedding. I wanted to… to ask you if you wanted to wear it." Emily pressed her lips together and waited for Lorelai's response.

Lorelai wasn't expecting that. She put out her hand out and Emily passed her the tiara. Lorelai looked at it, turning it in her hand.

"It's very pretty." She said.

Emily nodded. "You don't have to wear it, it's very old but you could have it polished. I understand if you don't want to wear it."

"No, I do." Lorelai answered. She stepped in front of the mirror and placed the tiara on her head. It stayed put.

Emily stood next to her. "I think it would look pretty with or without the wig. But you don't have to wear it if you don't want to." She insisted.

"I want to wear it Mom." Lorelai smiled. Their eyes met in the mirror and Emily smiled back. "And I agree, I think it will look nice either way."

Lorelai looked at herself in the mirror one last time before she removed the tiara.

Emily put out her hand and Lorelai gave it back to her.

"I'll get it polished for you."

"Thank you Mom, really. It's perfect."

"You're welcome Lorelai."

"Let's get back to Rory, shall we? I'm sure my coffee is ready by now."

They left the room and headed back downstairs. Later, on the drive back to Stars Hollow, Rory asked Lorelai if Emily had given her the tiara.

"Yeah, how did you know?"

"We talked about it. I told her that she was really supportive these past months and that we really appreciated it, that I love her, that we love her." Rory said slowly. She glanced at Lorelai before she continued, "And I told that giving you the tiara would be nice gesture."

"Really?"

Rory nodded. "Actually, she said she was thinking about giving it to you but she wasn't sure. I told her that you would really appreciate it, that you wanted her involved with the wedding planning."

Lorelai beamed. "Thank you honey,"

"You should be thanking Grandma."

"I already did. I'm thanking you for being the best kid ever."

Rory smiled at that. "That's because you're the best mom ever, the best friend too."

"I love you." Lorelai said.

"I love you too" Rory said.

* * *

 **Author's note: Thanks for reading. There wasn't much Luke in this chapter but he will be in the next one, the wedding and the final chapter.  
Reviews are appreciated. **


	30. The End of the Journey

Lorelai waited until the next day to ask Luke his opinion on the wig. As they were getting ready for the day, Lorelai asked him if she could talk to him.

"Sure. Is everything okay?" He asked.

"Oh, yeah, everything's fine. I just wanted to get your opinion on something."

Luke moved to sit next to her on the bed. He looked at her, urging her to speak.

"Um well I bought this." She picked up her purse and pulled out the wig. "And I was thinking about wearing it for the wedding but I'm not sure. What do you think?"

Luke stared at her for a minute. Lorelai thought she should show him how the wig looked, so she put it on. It was hard to see how it looked as she didn't have a mirror. She gasped softly as Luke adjusted the wig.

He smiled softly, "You look like… you."

"That's what I thought." She whispered.

He touched the ends of the wig, trying to remember how her real hair felt when it was this long.

She smiled sadly. "You miss my real hair, don't you? You miss when it was this long."

"Yes." He admitted. "But I think you're beautiful, with or without the wig." He ran his hand down the length of the wig.

"Thank you for your honest opinion." Lorelai said.

"It's your decision, whether to wear or not. I just want you to feel comfortable… if you feel prettier wearing it then that's fine." He told her.

"I do feel prettier wearing it… I mean I've come to accept my real hair, even though it's a little frustrating that it's growing so slowly. I think I'll wear it. And who knows, maybe I'll change my mind halfway through the ceremony and take it off." She shrugged.

"Okay." He replied.

She waited another minute before she took the wig off and got up to put it away. Luke looked at his watch.

"I better get going; Caesar and Lane are going to be swamped soon."

"Okay. Have a good day hon." Lorelai came to stand next to him.

"You too," He said. She had been back at the Inn for a while now. It was going well, she was back to her regular hours and she was happy to be back.

They walked downstairs and out the door. Before Lorelai got into the Jeep, she reached out and put a hand on Luke's shoulder. "Kiss." She requested, leaning in a little.

He leaned in and gave her a quick kiss. "Bye"

"Bye." She said and she got in the Jeep.

* * *

Logan's graduation was a week later. Rory was thrilled to watch him get his diploma and walk across the stage. She cheered and clapped for him. He looked embarrassed at first but then he grinned. His parents remained seated and they only clapped a little. Rory wanted to glare at them but she didn't.

Afterwards, she found him with Mitchum and Shira. She stood off to the side awkwardly. She didn't want to intrude. Logan noticed her and he came over a minute later.

"There's my cheerleader!" He said, chuckling.

Rory smiled brightly. He pulled her to him and kissed her passionately.

"Wow" She breathed when they pulled apart.

Logan just smiled.

"I am so proud of you!" She exclaimed.

"Thanks, Ace."

She glanced over at Mitchum and Shira. "So what's the plan?" She asked a bit hesitantly.

"Well they want to take me out for lunch and drinks but I want to spend time with you celebrating." Logan squeezed her hip.

"Maybe you should go with them." She said slowly.

"I can ditch them, they won't care." He said under his breath.

"It's okay, really. I can see you tonight."

Logan sighed. He looked over at his parents then back at Rory. "You sure? Because I'd much rather be with you."

"I'm sure. I can wait for you."

"Fine," Logan reached into his pants pocket and then held out his hand to Rory. "Here take the keys. I can meet you at the apartment later."

"Okay." Rory nodded and took the keys.

Logan leaned in and kissed her twice. She pulled back a bit then pecked his lips.

"Bye." She said softly.

"Bye" He said, and with a look of longing he was gone.

* * *

While she waited for Logan to come home, Rory called Lorelai.

"Hey"

"Hey kid. What's up?"

"Nothing much, I'm just waiting for Logan to come back from lunch with his parents. Thought I'd call to check in and to tell you that I'm coming home tomorrow, packing the rest of my things in the morning and I should be there no later than twelve."

"That's perfect. I've finished making your dress and I want to make sure it fits. Also, Luke and I picked out the wedding bands today. They're simple gold but gorgeous. Lorelai laughed a little. "Can you imagine, Luke is going to be wearing a wedding ring!"

"Yes, I can imagine it. I mean I guess he didn't wear one when he was married to Nicole, but this is you so I can imagine him wearing a ring."

"Really?"

"Really," Rory replied.

"So how's Logan, did he trip on the stage or anything?"

"Mom! No, of course he didn't."

"Well you were the one who was worried he was going to trip."

"I don't know why I was worried, it's not like he's clumsy or anything."

"True…. Oh! Luke just walked in and he's carrying a pizza. I wonder what I did to deserve a pizza?"

"You need to accomplish something to be rewarded with pizza?" Rory asked.

"Well he usually nags me about eating so unhealthily and you know I actually haven't had pizza in a long time, not since you were here last month actually."

"Luke's been a good influence on you then?"

"I guess so; it took a long time though. He's been living here for almost a year."

"Wow it's been that long already…" Rory trailed off, thinking.

"I know, it's been a long year." Lorelai said a little sadly.

Rory heard Luke say something in the background. "I better let you go eat that pizza before it gets cold."

"Okay hon. Have a good night, see you tomorrow."

"See you tomorrow. Good night, Mom." Rory hung up. Logan walked in a few minutes later.

"You're home!" Rory rushed over to him. She hugged him and he held her close. He pulled back a little and kissed her deeply.

She sighed and parted her lips. They made their way over to the couch.

Logan pulled away suddenly. "Damn it, I forgot to pick up some champagne."

"You've got some here." Rory said.

"Oh yeah, not a lot though," He murmured.

"We don't need it." She whispered before she pressed her lips back to his.

They kissed for a bit before he pulled back. He stood up and urged her to do the same. She did and he pulled her in for another kiss before he started unbuttoning his shirt.

Rory pulled back this time. "Let's go to the bed."

He nodded in agreement and they walked over to the bed. They quickly stripped their clothing and shoes. Rory motioned for him to get on the bed first. He raised his eyebrows but got on the bed. She held herself over him and kissed his lips, his cheek then his neck.

Logan looked into her eyes when she pulled away. She smiled at him shyly and whispered, "I love you Logan, so much."

"I love you too." He pulled her back down and their lips met in a fiery kiss.

* * *

On the day before the wedding, Lorelai told Luke that she didn't want to go the traditional way and spend the night before apart.

"You sure?"

"Yes. I've spent practically every night with you and I don't want to sleep without you, not even for one night." She admitted.

He smiled. "I guess I don't want to sleep without you next to me either." He teased.

"Hey, I am irresistible." She hit him playfully.

He kissed her softly. "Are you ready for this?" He asked seriously.

"Ready for what?" She frowned. "Marriage?"

He nodded.

"Of course I am. You're the one for me…. Why? Are you having second thoughts?" Her heart sank but she didn't let it show. "You can't back out now, you're stuck with me."

"No of course not, I'm sure I want to marry you… I just, I don't know. I'm feeling a little strange."

"Strange?"

"Nervous. But I'm sure it will go away."

"Yeah." Lorelai nodded. "I'm sure that's normal, I'm going to be a ball of nerves tomorrow I'm sure."

Luke put his arm around her and said: "Tomorrow will be great."

"Perfect." She corrected.

"Perfect." He concluded. She turned her face up to him and leaned in for a kiss.

They kissed until the heard the front door open. Rory walked in and came into the living room.

"Everything is ready at the Inn, its perfect." Rory said.

"Great, thanks for checking on things for me, hon. We were just saying how tomorrow will be perfect."

Rory sighed happily and took a seat in a chair.

Lorelai pulled away from Luke suddenly. She gasped. "I forgot to get something blue."

Luke remembered something too. "Actually I have something for you. I'll be right back."

Lorelai and Rory watched as he headed outside to his truck. They waited with bated breath.

He returned holding two jewelry boxes. He took his seat next to Lorelai and held out the smaller box to her. She took it then looked at him curiously. He nodded his head, telling her to open it.

She opened the box and gasped when she saw what was inside. It was a sapphire pendant necklace. "Oh my god, Luke it's so beautiful."

Rory stood up and stepped closer to get a better look. She gasped softly when she saw it.

"It was my mother's." Luke said gently.

"Oh Luke," Lorelai felt amazed and heartbroken at the same time.

"Liz found it in her jewelry box. She thought she had lost it."

"You really want me to have it? I mean I think Liz should have it." Lorelai said slowly.

"She doesn't want it; she said you can have it. She was the one who urged me to give it to you."

"I'll have to thank her." Lorelai held up the necklace. "It really is beautiful."

Luke just smiled. Lorelai and Rory admired the necklace for a minute before Lorelai asked what was in the other box.

"Oh uh that's actually…" Luke held out the box to Rory. "I was wondering if you might like this… I'm not sure."

Rory gave him a quizzical look but she took the box and opened it. "Oh," It was a pearl necklace.

"It's okay if you don't like it." Luke said quickly.

"No I love it, really. It's very pretty. Thank you."

"You're welcome. I'm glad you like it." Luke smiled softly.

Rory glanced at Luke, "Are you sure Liz doesn't want this one?"

"Nah, she said something about her neck being too fat."

Rory smiled and she walked over to stand in front of Luke. He took the hint and stood. They hugged. When they pulled apart, Rory gave Luke and affectionate look and then looked at Lorelai.

"Look at us; we're going to be a perfect little family." Rory said.

"We already are a family." Lorelai crowed.

"I guess so." Luke said happily.

Rory just nodded and smiled. Lorelai had said that they were a family before but it was nice to hear it out loud again.

The three of them spent the next few hours relaxing. Tomorrow was a big day and everyone was so excited. They went to bed early but they didn't fall asleep for hours.

* * *

The next morning, Lorelai awoke to the sensation of Luke running his fingers up and down her back.

She opened her eyes when she felt him kiss her shoulder.

"Morning," He whispered.

"Morning," She grinned.

"How'd you sleep?" He started to rub her shoulder.

"It took me a while to fall asleep but I feel rested." She grinned again, "It's our wedding day."

He smiled back. "I can't believe it's here already."

"I'm going to be Mrs. Danes."

"You're taking my name?" This was news to him.

"Hmm actually I think I'm going to hyphenate; I'll be Lorelai Victoria Gilmore-Danes. Is that okay with you?"

"Yep," He said simply. His hand moved to her back and he pulled her closer.

She sighed and cuddled up to him, resting her head on his chest.

"You need to get to the apartment." She said. They had agreed that he would get ready at the apartment before coming to the Inn. Jess was staying the night there; he was Luke's best man. Lorelai would get ready at the Inn. The ceremony was to start at 1:00 pm.

"Give me a minute." He muttered, kissing the top of her head.

They lied there for a couple minutes before Lorelai moved. Luke followed her and they both got out bed. They got dressed in silence, occasionally stealing glances at each other.

Once they were both dressed, they stood in front of each other. Lorelai smiled and whispered:

"See you in a few hours, husband to be."

Luke winked at her and slipped his arms around her waist, holding her close.

She pressed her face into his neck and held him just as tightly. They stood like that for a bit before Luke pulled back a little.

Lorelai looked into his eyes and leaned in. They shared a few soft, sweet kisses.

"I love you." He said, looking at her with an expression that proved so.

"I love you too." A slow, lazy smile spread over her face.

Luke gave her one last kiss before he turned and left the room.

Once she heard the front door shut, Lorelai went to wake up Rory.

"Come on! It's time to wake up let's get to the Inn!" Lorelai sat on Rory's bed and shook her shoulders gently.

Rory groaned but she slowly sat up. "I can't believe you're getting married today."

"I know!"

"Are you more nervous or excited?" Rory asked.

"Both! I can't wait…" Lorelai couldn't help but grin but she also played with her hands.

"Luke is the one." Rory said.

"He is." Lorelai said, smiling brightly as she teared up.

"I'm so happy for you, and for Luke. This past year has been rough for all of us and he's been here through all of it. I'm so happy he's going to be my stepdad. He really makes you happy too and that's what most important." Rory felt a little choked up.

Lorelai pulled Rory close. "It really means a lot to hear you say that, honey." She kissed Rory's forehead. "I love you and Luke loves you too."

Rory nodded, she knew that Luke loved her like she was his own daughter. "I love you too Mom." Rory whispered.

They sat there for a bit, talking about the wedding before they headed to the Inn.

* * *

A few hours later, it was time for Lorelai to put on her dress. Rory and Sookie helped her and once the dress was on, all the women in the room gushed.

"You look stunning honey, beautiful." Sookie said.

"Mom, you're so gorgeous." Rory sighed.

Lorelai was already wearing the wig. She looked at Emily, hoping to hear a compliment from her.

Emily picked up the tiara, which was sitting on the makeup table. Lorelai smiled softly as Emily handed her the tiara.

Lorelai put it on and looked in the mirror. "It's perfect. It really completes the look. Don't you think so, Mom?"

"Yes. You look beautiful, Lorelai." Emily was crying a little.

Lorelai immediately came over to Emily and pulled her into a hug. Emily was slow to react. She put her arms around Lorelai and patted her back a little. It was a long hug, the longest one they had had in years.

When they pulled apart, Emily said: "Don't cry, you'll ruin your makeup."

Lorelai laughed and wiped at the corner of her eyes. Rory came over and gave Emily a hug too.

Lorelai put her earrings and Luke's mother necklace on and looked at herself in the mirror again. _This is a perfect day. I'm marrying the man I love and everyone is here for us._ After the worst year of her life, Lorelai was feeling on top of the world.

Sookie pulled on Lorelai's hand gently and Lorelai turned to her. The best friends grinned at each other and hugged fiercely.

There was a knock at the door. Rory went over and asked who was there.

"Your grandfather, is everyone ready?" Richard answered.

Rory opened the door and let Richard into the room. She hugged him quickly.

Lorelai turned to face her father. "Are you sure you want to walk me down the aisle? There's still time to change your mind." She joked.

"My, I would never change my mind." Richard stepped closer to Lorelai. "You look beautiful, Lorelai. If Luke doesn't tell you so than I will have to have a word with him."

"Thanks Dad." Lorelai smiled brightly.

* * *

Ten minutes later, it was time to walk down the aisle; the aisle was really just pavement outside the Inn. Emily went first, followed by Jess. He and Rory had talked a little, things were fine between them and Jess didn't seem to be jealous of Logan either. Next, Sookie walked, then Rory.

Once Rory was standing at the end of the aisle, Lorelai looped her arm through Richard's.

"Ready?" He asked.

"You bet." She said.

They slowly made their way to the end of the aisle. As Lorelai got closer, she saw the look on Luke's face and she grinned. Luke couldn't believe how lucky he was to be marrying Lorelai. She was beautiful, strong, with a big heart and a smile that made him weak in the knees. She was his perfect match, and he was hers. He blinked back his tears but as Lorelai approached him she could see his watery eyes.

Richard leaned in awkwardly and Lorelai allowed him to kiss her cheek. He nodded and gave a small smile before he turned and took his seat next to Emily. Luke took Lorelai's hand in his. He leaned in slightly and whispered: "You look so beautiful."

Lorelai just smiled at him. She felt herself blush a little. She felt beautiful. They chose to write their own vows. Luke was a little wary of the idea at first but Lorelai convinced him that it would be more special and he came around. The minster had the cards they were written on and he handed them to Luke and Lorelai.

Lorelai went first: "Luke, you are my rock, my best friend, the love of my life, my…" She pressed her lips together, feeling a little choked up. "My everything. I can't imagine life without you and I know you can't imagine life without me either. This past year put our relationship to the test… it was really hard but you stood by me and I really," She stopped again, tears fell down her face.

Luke squeezed her hand and gave her a loving smile. She smiled back and continued:

"I couldn't have gotten through it without you. Today I will become your wife and we'll have the time of our life." She giggled at her silly rhyme and some of the attendees couldn't help but laugh too." You've treated Rory like she was your own daughter and I love that you care for her so much. I know you love her and that makes me love you even more. I love you, always." She finished, her voice did not break.

Luke squeezed her hand again. He cleared his throat.

"Lorelai, when you came into my diner all those years ago, there was something about you… I just knew that that wouldn't be the last time I saw you. Not just because you were a coffee addict, because I just knew I wanted to see you again." A few people said 'Aww' at that. Luke blushed but continued, "Um I don't know where I'd be without you and I don't want to think about it. I'll be here no matter what, through thick and thin. I love you." He finished. He didn't take his eyes off Lorelai. She was still crying and he reached out to wipe the tears off her face.

The minister asked if they were ready to continue and they told him yes. He asked Jess to give Luke Lorelai's ring and Jess reached into his left pocket and passed Luke the ring. Luke repeated after the minister and slipped the ring on Lorelai's finger. Then they repeated the process and Lorelai put Luke's ring on his finger.

The minster said a few more words, ending with: "I now pronounce you husband and wife, you may kiss the bride."

Luke grinned and Lorelai squeezed his hand. They leaned in at the same time and their lips met in a slow, passionate kiss. When Luke pulled back a little, Lorelai pulled him in for another quick kiss. She giggled at the stunned look on his face.

Everyone clapped and cheered and Babette whistled.

* * *

Later, after everyone had eaten, it was time for the dancing to start. Lorelai surprised Richard by arranging a father/daughter dance.

Richard was a bit taken aback. "Are you sure?"

"Just go, Richard." Emily gestured with her hands.

"Come on Dad, I promise I won't step on your toes." Lorelai said.

"All right then." Richard smiled.

After they finished their dance, Richard whispered: "Thank you, sweetheart."

"No need to thank me, Dad. I should be thanking you for being there for me this past year."

Richard just nodded and smiled. Lorelai hugged him.

Now it was time for the first dance of the bride and groom.

Lorelai smiled as Luke took her hand and lead her to the center of the floor (the reception was inside). A minute into the dance, he pulled her closer and she rested her head on his shoulder.

"Did I tell you how handsome you look?" She asked.

"No, but I'm sure you were getting around to it."

"Well, you look so handsome. You should ditch the flannel more often."

"That's unlikely." Luke laughed a little. He kissed her cheek.

"Well I like flannel Luke too I suppose." She teased.

Luke saw Liz wave at him from across the floor. He looked around the room, his gaze falling on Emily and Richard. He let out a breath.

"I wish they were here… my parents. They would have loved you." He told Lorelai.

Lorelai moved the hand that was on his shoulder up to the back of his head. She ran her hands through his hair. "I wish they could be here too. I'm sorry babe."

"It's okay." He murmured. She kissed him then, a sweet, lingering kiss. He kissed her once more before she laid her head back down on his shoulder.

The next song was another slow one and the DJ announced that Luke and Lorelai would like to invite others to join them on the floor.

Rory asked Logan to dance and he accepted right away, put a hand on the small of her back and lead her to the floor.

They danced and Rory smiled softly at him. He pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "Hey, I have some news." He whispered.

"Good news?" She was worried for a second.

"Yes, very good news." He grinned. "I found a job in New York, and it's a job my father actually approves of. I start next week."

"Really? In New York?!" Rory was thrilled. "You won't have to go to London?" Logan had been to London a couple of times for business. His father had wanted him to work there.

"No. I got lucky and found a job in New York and my dad caved. He approved." Logan smiled again.

"Logan! That's amazing! New York is not very far at all!" Rory kissed him on the mouth. They shared a few kisses before she pulled back again.

Logan chuckled. "I'm just happy that I get to stay in the same country as you. I love you, Ace."

"I love you too." Rory held him closer as they continued to sway to the music.

A few songs later, Rory came over to Luke and Lorelai who were standing alone. They had found a spot away from everyone and they were just standing there, occasionally whispering to each other.

"Mom!" Rory reached out and pulled Lorelai into a big hug.

Lorelai laughed and hugged her back. "Can you believe I'm married now?" She held out her left hand, watched her rings sparkle in the light.

"Finally married you mean?" Rory teased. She exchanged smiles with Luke and gave him a quick hug too.

"Oh yeah, that reminds me…" Luke said. He put his right hand over his left and took of his own wedding band.

"Hey what are you doing, mister?! We've only been married for an hour! Are you sick of me already?" Lorelai exclaimed.

"No. I just wanted to show you something." He passed her his ring and told her to look on the inside of it. One simple word was engraved on it, _Always_.

"Oh Luke," Lorelai gasped. She showed Rory, who also whispered "Oh." And put a hand to her heart.

"Yeah, I uh asked the guy at the shop if people usually engrave something on their rings and he told me that that's pretty popular so I went with it." Luke explained.

Lorelai handed his ring back to him and carefully took off her own. She looked at her ring for a long minute, smiling.

"You're the best." She told Luke.

He just wrapped an arm around her and rubbed her back a little, glad that she liked the rings.

"I'm so happy for you two." Rory said, wanting to express her joy again.

Lorelai and Luke just smiled. Richard and Emily came over at that moment.

"The ceremony was very nice and the Inn looks beautiful." Emily said.

"Thanks, Mom."

"Luke," Richard said to get Luke's attention. Luke stood up straighter and turned to Richard. "I am very pleased that Lorelai has a man like you as her husband. I know you will always be there for both Lorelai and Rory and I am proud to call you my son- in -law."

"T- thank you Mr. Gilmore," Luke said as Richard shook his hand.

"Please, call me Richard." Richard insisted.

Luke just nodded.

"I agree." Emily said. She spoke to Lorelai, "I know I've always tried to push you to be with Christopher and I want to apologise for that. I know Luke is the man you love and I know now that Christopher isn't the right man for you. I just wanted the three of you to be a family." She looked at Luke. "But now I know that Luke is and has been family for a long time."

Emily faced Luke now. "Luke, I'd like to apologise to you too. I know you love Lorelai very much and that you love Rory like she was your own daughter. I… I'm happy to have you be a part of this family." She said sincerely.

Luke was touched. "Thank you, Emily. That means a lot. And thank you for supporting Lorelai and being there for her and Rory during this rough year. You too, Richard. I'm happy to be a part of this family too."

Emily and Richard nodded, giving Luke small smiles. Lorelai was also touched by their words. She surprised herself by giving Emily a quick hug.

They had taken most of the photos before they ate, but the photographer also agreed to take some candid shots. Without really thinking about it, Lorelai took of her wig and set it down.

"It was getting annoying." She said and she shrugged.

Luke didn't say anything; he just smiled and kissed her softly. The photographer managed to get a shot of it.

Luke and Lorelai made their rounds then, stopping at all of the guests tables. Lorelai shared hugs with almost everyone, including Sookie, Jackson, Michel, Miss Patty, Babette and even Kirk. Luke and Lorelai chatted with Mia and thanked her for coming and for being there for them for so many years.

Jess came over to congratulate the happy couple before he headed back to the apartment for the night. He would be leaving in the morning but Luke was glad that he came.

* * *

Rory was staying the night at Lane's so that the newlyweds could spend the night alone. Luke and Lorelai had decided to go on a honeymoon at a later date. However, they had decided to have some construction done on the house. They would make the bedroom, mainly the closet a little bigger to make more room for Luke.

When Luke and Lorelai arrived home, they walked up the porch steps and stood in front of the door for a minute.

"Are you gonna carry me over the threshold?" Lorelai wondered. She was teasing him but he surprised her by lifting her into his arms.

"Luke! I was kidding! Put me down!" Lorelai giggled.

Luke didn't put her down. He managed to open the front door and he carried her inside. He sat in a chair in the living room which they had brought from his apartment. He pulled her onto his lap.

Lorelai beamed at him and he tilted his head, wanting a kiss. They kissed for a bit before Luke pulled away.

"We're married." He said in a low voice.

"I know, I was there," She laughed. "It only took us a little less than ten years to get here."

"Hmm," Luke pressed his lips to hers again. Lorelai deepened the kiss and moaned softly when she felt his tongue meet hers.

She pulled away suddenly and looked down.

"Lorelai?" He rubbed her back.

She looked back up and there were tears in her eyes.

"What's wrong?" He asked, concerned.

"These are happy tears, I just." She took a shaky breath. "I can't believe I beat cancer and today I married the man I love. I'm just so damn happy." She cried.

"Well, I'm so damn happy too." He laughed. "I'm so happy to have you, Lorelai." He said gently.

She loved the way he said her name. She kissed him again and he kissed her back but pulled away. He motioned for her to stand up and she slowly got off his lap.

Once he was standing, he pulled her into his arms. She wrapped her arms around his waist and pressed her face to his chest.

"Love you." He said simply.

"Love you too." She replied.

He lifted her up again and she didn't protest. He carried her all the way upstairs. The first day of the rest of their lives as a married couple was beginning soon. They were soulmates, and nothing would ever change that.

* * *

 **Author's note: Thank you so much for reading this story. Thank you for the reviews, the favourites and follows. I hope you enjoy the last chapter. Reviews are always appreciated. I'll take constructive criticism too.**

 **I just wanted to mention that April does not exist in this story although it does take place in the time that she shows up in the show. I would never want to erase April's existence as I love her, but I felt like she didn't fit into the story.**

 **I was thinking about maybe writing an alternate version of this story where Lorelai's fate is changed, but I figure that would be too sad. I might write it one day, but I hate sad stories and I don't know if I have the skills to write it haha.**

 **I can't wait for the revival! I truly believe that we'll see Luke and Lorelai get married and I will sob. Feel free to message me anytime if you want to talk about GG! I am always happy to talk about it! Thanks again.**

 **PS: You can also follow me on twitter (the same username as FF- Natalie122333) or on tumblr- itwasagreatkiss**


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